


The Nameless

by kaitokid98



Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Action, Action/Adventure, Alien Planet, Alien Sex, Alien Technology, Aliens, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Animal Death, Animal Transformation, Animals, Badass, Blood and Gore, Child Death, Consensual, Consensual Underage Sex, Crimes & Criminals, Dark, Death, Different races, Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fantasy, Fantasy Racism, Furry, Implied/Referenced Torture, Kings & Queens, Lizardfolk, Modern Royalty, Near Death Experiences, Outer Space, Past Character Death, Possible Character Death, Princes & Princesses, Racism, Revolution, Robbery, Robot Sex, Robots, Romance, Rough Sex, Royalty, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Sex, Sex with Sentient Animals, Space Battles, Space Pirates, Space Royalty, Star Trek - Freeform, Star Wars - Freeform, Technology, Torture, Underage Drinking, War, Women Being Awesome, space fantasy, universe - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-15
Updated: 2019-10-29
Packaged: 2020-12-17 02:47:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 13
Words: 31,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21047027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaitokid98/pseuds/kaitokid98
Summary: This is a romantic space adventure following the lives of two star-crossed souls; a man the last of his kind and a formally enslaved royal.





	1. Gimmicks and Gamics

The air was thick with jovial laughter, unapologetic conversations, and a country busker in the background. Apparently the one type of music that was universal was the twangy sounds of Earth, but it fit this rustic, ranch style ship stop bar. Rex, usually a black scaled and tough looking Saurian, stared into his old fashioned before he finished it off, tapping the bar for another hit. He was disguised as a Lycan, the wolf race, as to not raise suspicion. He kept his black, leather coat up and his head down to keep people from talking to him as well. He wasn’t here for any socialization. His tail swayed unconsciously to the beat of the music as he kept a subtle eye on the door and the lockbox behind the counter. This scarred and red-eyed ‘Lycan’ was going to get this one last mark before he left this corner of the Milky Way. His tongue licked over his chops as the bartender slid him another drink and Rex brought out some Novas to pay. Usually he’d use his Holopad for transactions, but he didn’t want to leave any trace. As the Novas clinked on the table, a chime of a bell caused him to look towards the door. He was expecting to see trouble, but it was much worse than that. It was a gorgeous Swiftstride, a regal cat race, but this one was one of the high breeds. She was cat footed with a silky looking tail and ears, but the rest of her was rather human, but exotic. He wasn’t the only one that looked up at this simply-clad beauty, but after they deemed her too out of their ballpark, they resumed their conversations, ignoring her. Rex was about to do the same when the lady sat down at the bar, next to him.

“A sazerac, neat.” She said, with slight apprehension to her voice. Rex could tell that she was currently desperate, and broke. He could see it in the way that she tapped on the bar and why she wanted a harder drink. He then notice her eyes flick towards the lockbox. That’s when he knew she was here for the same reason he was; money. It was the biggest event of the night since the Fire Festival was in town. This mark would be just as beneficial as it was difficult. There had to be at least 2,000 Gamics in that box, that would definitely keep her fed for a good long time, but she didn’t plan on one little thing; him. He was going to get that money because it was the damn Sentinel’s money. Those slave running bastards were just as bad as the Nazi’s, maybe even worse, and they were here. Enjoying the festival like they didn’t piss off most every race. Worst thing about it was that they couldn’t care less because they basically ruled half of the universe, and was the reason Rex was in disguise. He was definitely going to burn that money in a Fire Festival of his own with the rest of his crew.

“I’ll cover her as well.” Rex said to the bartender as he brought out the Swiftstrides sazerac. The bartender nodded as Rex tossed him a few more Novas. Her eyes shot him a look that was just as hot as it was piercing. “But, if I were you, I’d stop that bar fight over there before the Sentinel’s show up.” The bartender cursed under his breath as he leapt over the bar to stop the riot that was just beginning from too much booze and puffery.

“I don’t need your charity.” She hissed from gritted teeth as the bartender was out of earshot.

“And yet, you still let him take my money.” He said, reaching over the bar to the lockbox. “But it wasn’t charity, cat, it was an apology.”

“What do you think you-“ She barely had time to register what he was doing before the click of the lockbox was heard and the fast shuffle of Gamic bills was pulled from the metal before it shut.

“See ya ‘round.” He said with an impish grin, getting up and leaving the bar. The Swiftstride watched him leave, dumbfounded, before she quickly got up to chase after him, leaving the sazerac behind.

“Hey, stop! You can’t just do that!” She called after him, catching up to his brisk walk. Her tail swished with annoyance as the hair on her tail stood on edge. He scoffed.

“Do what? Exactly what you were planning to do? You gonna turn me in?” Rex smirked as he saw her expression turn from annoyance to defiant embarrassment as she tried to think of something to say to change his mind but realizing it was for naught. He had her pegged and she knew it. “You turn me in and you’ll probably get locked up yourself.” He said, continuing to walk towards his ship. He needed to get away before the bartender realized what was up. He had hoped that she was just going to give up as well, but that was a bit too much wishful thinking.

“Okay, so I was going to do the same thing, but you can’t think that a few lousy Novas make up for the bunch of Gamics that I was going to get from that man! You don’t even look like you need it!” She said, walking beside him, trying to miss the loads of people they were walking against as well as keep up with him.

“You’re right. I don’t.”

“Then what’s the point of taking it!”

“To burn it.”

“Burn it!?”

“Did I stutter??”

“The hell you are!” She said, quickly getting in front of him and stopping him in his tracks. “I was scoping this place out for weeks, waiting for the right time for him to acquire enough Gamics for me to get off this godforsaken planet when you come sauntering along, steal it right from under my nose, then burn it!? Who do you think you are!?”

“An annoyed Lycan. Please move.” He said softly but sternly.

“Alright, so an asshole. Give me the Gamics.” She said.

“No.” He replied.

“Give me the Gamics or else.”

“Or else what?” He said with a sneer. It’s not like she could do anything besides snitch, which would get them both in trouble.

“Or else I’ll keep you here long enough for the bartender to realize that you took the money. You could get away in time, but I figure someone like you would like to keep their anonymity.” She replied. She forced him into a corner. He couldn’t very well forcibly move her from in front of him because of the sheer number of the crowd, so she definitely wasn’t bluffing, and she knew she had him beat. He sighed and looked her up and down before looking behind his shoulder. The bartender still seemed to be inside.

“Look, I’ll tell you what. You let me keep these particular Gamics for my crews burning ceremony and I’ll offer you a ride off this planet and some Gamics of my own for your trouble.” He replied. She looked over him in return, like she was weighing her options or trying to figure out if he was legit. Unfortunately, time was of the essence, especially since he noticed the bartender busting out of the bar in a tizzy. “Hurry up and choose, woman.”

“Fine. You got a deal. Get me off this planet now.” She replied, moving out of his way. He took this opportunity to grab her arm and quickly make his way through the crowd. That was when the yelling started. It was faint at first, but he knew that it was the angry bartender yapping to the cops. They had to get out of here quick so he was thankful that his ship was only a few yards away in the ship dock.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

He breathed a sigh of relief once he got to his ship and the hover attendant faced him. As he came to a stop at the gate, and the Swiftstride wrenched his arm out of his grip with a huff, the attendant threw him the anchor release.

“Any way that you can keep my name and your ship off your lips and out of your memory?” Rex said with a hurried tone. The attendant glared at him slowly before looking back to the book he was reading. Obviously bored and thinking that Rex was not worth his time, the attendant shrugged.

“That’s out of my pay-grade, Lycan.” He said, much slower than the situation would like it. Rex groaned and shoved his hand into his pocket to get a few Gamics that weren’t from his target out. Ten should be enough to shut him up. That was nearly triple what he gets paid to keep the ships safe. He slammed the Gamics down on the table as the attendant slowly looked over to see what the ruckus was. His eyes got wide as he saw the amount of money on the table and quickly pocketed it. “I never saw you, man. Get out of here.” Rex obliged and went to grab the Swiftstride again but she jerked her hand away.

“Grab me again and you’ll lose that arm.” She hissed. Rex rolled his eyes before nodding to his ship.

“Just hurry up and get in.” He snapped, running up the ramp. The Swiftstride stayed on his heels. Rex placed the anchor release into the ship and the ship lurched out and off the dock as the ramp closed up. He brought his wrist up to his mouth after typing in a command. “Rayda, get us out of here!” He said. Soon after the ship shot forward and sped out of the gravitational pull of the planet. A young Saurian, a white skinned Gecko, quickly ran up to greet Rex, just as always.

“Captain, you’re back! I made sure to get all the repairs on the ship done so we are in tip top shape to go anywhere! I see you brought on extra cargo?” He said, looking to the Swiftstride.

“Excuse me. Cargo??” She said with a huff.

“She’s a special case, Wrench. But good job on the repairs. Here, take the Gamics to the Great Hall for our own little end to the Fire Festival.” Rex replied, tossing him the bills. Wrench caught them eagerly.

“Aye aye, captain!” He said, running off.

“Excuse my mechanic. He wasn’t expecting a stowaway.” Rex said to her.

“I’m not a stowaway, wolf boy.” She said.

“You are until you have a name.” He replied. She kicked the ground slightly as she looked away from him.

“Pryde.” She murmured.

“Rex. See, was that so hard?” He said, teasingly.

“Piss off, asshole.”

“Is that anyway to speak to a captain?”

“I can’t believe that you’re the captain. For one, you were out there doing your own dirty work, and for two, I never known Lycan’s to lead a crew of different races.” She said, eying some of the crew members as they walked to a fro, doing their jobs.

“Ah, now that’s where this ride gets a little crazy.” He replied with a smirk. He winced slightly as fur and skin melted off of him, dripping slowly from his form like a grotesque shedding. Soon after, standing before Pryde in a puddle of Lycan goo, was his true form; A black scaled and red-eyed Saurian, scars and all. “Welcome to my ship, the Nameless.”


	2. Rocky Starts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So Pryde is on Rex's ship. What could go wrong?

He changed into a lizardman, right before her eyes. It was… disgusting to say the least, but she much gathered this form than his last. She sure as hell wasn’t going to tell him that though. She was pissed off with him, and for good reason. What was he doing, burning money and galavanting around like he owned the place? His snarky and flippant attitude rubbed her all the wrong ways. Her tail flicked in annoyance as she crossed her arms.

“I knew you smelled off for a Lycan. What are you, anyway?”

“What a question. I’m a Saurian. Lizardfolk.” He replied.

“Saurian. I heard of that before. I seem to remember that they were an elusive race, an old-world race, and dead.” She said, dropping her off-standish demeanor ever so slightly. “Was that boy… Wrench? That’s his name, right? Is he one of you too?” She asked, showing too much curiosity and cursing herself for it. She didn’t want to seem liked she cared about anything he had to offer, but it was too late. He was already giving her that stupid, roguish grin. Her ears folded back as he stretched.

“Yes, he’s a Saurian too. We’re the last of our kind, run to extinction by the Sentinels. We barely escaped with our lives eight years ago.” He replied, walking off. She huffed and followed him, despite her better nature. She was still curious, to her dismay.

“Eight years? Wouldn’t your kind have been more in the public eye then? The way your kind is written about, or the lack thereof, your kind died off hundreds of years ago. Hell, I know next to nothing about your kind! Definitely not that weird body change thing that you just did.” She said, giving a slightly grossed out face. Rex typed a code that she didn’t catch into a door and it opened up. It was a rather spacious living quarters with a solitary bed, bathroom, and small kitchen. Compared to where she used to sleep, this was a palace. She was about to ask if this was her room when she noticed a chair and HUD near the large window of the room. It looked like this is one of the places where the ship is controlled and her suspicions were confirmed when the chair swiveled around to show a human who was extremely buff considering she was female, and pretty easy on the eyes.

“Thanks for getting us out of there, Rayda. The rest of the crew have convened in the Great Hall for the burning of the Gamics. Take the Swiftstride with you and then show her the woman’s quarters.” He said, obviously ignoring her questions. She huffed.

“You know my name, asshole, and you didn’t even answer my question!”

“Also, teach her the word ‘captain.’ She seems not to know it.” Rex said, sitting in the chair that Rayda stood up from. “I’m getting us back on course to Lothan.”

“Aye aye, captain. Come on, new girl. I think you will enjoy our festivities.” Rayda said. Pryde brushed her off and stalked over to Rex. He was a grade A ass for blowing her off like that. She hit him over the head. 

“We aren’t finished here, Rex! First off, you aren’t my captain so I ain’t calling you that! Secondly, you still owe me Gamics and an explanation!” Pryde said angrily. The chair swiveled slowly around to face her and she realized she definitely got his attention, and maybe not in a good way. He had on a different expression that she had seen, one of anger and annoyance. She would be pleased with herself if he didn’t look so menacing. She definitely pissed him off, but she wasn’t going to show that she was slightly intimidated.

“We ARE finished here. I’m telling you now to go with Rayda or suffer the consequences. When you are on MY ship you will do what I say or else you’re on a one way ticket to Earth. I will talk to you about your Gamics tomorrow so get the hell out of my room before you become a stowaway and I treat you as such.” He said with a low growl. She saw his lips curl back ever so slightly to show razor sharp teeth and his words shook her. If she didn’t hate him before, she did now. She hated the way he just spoke with her, but she wasn’t about to rock the boat and bring his fury upon her. He was definitely someone she shouldn’t mess with. Rayda came up behind her and pulled her away from the Saurian and out the door.

“Come on, new girl, before you piss him off more.” Rayda said, with a hint of distaste behind it. As they got out of his room, the door closed. There was no getting back to him now. She huffed with annoyance.

“What the hell is that man’s problem! Doesn’t he know anything about hospitality or etiquette??” Pryde said, directing her words at the door so hopefully he would hear. Rayda cleared her throat and Pryde turned her head to look at her.

“Give the captain a break. He hasn’t slept in days and he damn good at his job. Besides, he’s a damn good guy and I won’t stand for you talking like that bout him. He just has to grow on ya. That’s how he is.” She said, motioning her to follow. Pryde walked after her, shaking her head.

“He’ll have to do a lot of growing then. Why are you with him anyway? If I had a choice, I wouldn’t have stuck around long enough for his rude ass to grow on me.”

“I’m with him because he saved me from an abusive relationship. She was hellish and I can’t believe I stuck with it for so long. I have many scars from her, emotionally and physically. I almost killed myself too. Then he came along. I don’t want to get into the details but… He offered me a way out and I took it. Sure I’m a criminal now, but this is so much better compared to where I was, and I’m treated like I’m actually a person.” She said softly. Pryde looked down sheepishly.

“I’m… I’m sorry that happened.” She managed to say. Rayda then waved her off.

“It’s okay. It happened a long time ago and I’m over it. Plus, I have a new beau in my life. He’s the cook here and DAMN does he treat me well. Some of the things he does… girl I’ve got stories.” She said with a chuckle, looking off dreamily as they rounded a corner. “I mean, this one time he-“

“Look, I’m all for the gossip but we don’t know each other that well.” Pryde said quickly.

“Oh, we will. You got the room with Vex and I. Anyway, the point is, cap’n is a good guy, honest. Just give him some time.” She said.

“I’ll think about it.” Pryde murmured. Rayda gave her a sideways look before shaking her head. She didn’t pick the conversation back up though, so Pryde was alone with her thoughts, gazing at the intricate and technological corridors. The ship was rather immaculate, considering what company she thought Rex to entertain. Finally they rounded one last corner, the ship was surprisingly big and intricate kind of like that blue box in that old doctor show from Earth,and Rayda opened a door that showed Pryde a whole new world. The one room was big and spacious, almost like a ballroom she’d read about in old fairytales, and there were so many beings in there of all races and sizes. She’d never seen so many races in one space before without all of them trying to rip each other’s heads off. It was actually quite the feat, a commendable act by the captain, but she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction. They were all playing card games, sparring, and dancing, there was so much familial aura in the room that she felt like she was home, if she still had one. In that moment, the area had a twinge of sadness to it until her curiosity of the big ring in the middle of the room got the best of her.

“Drink?” A strange male’s voice said. Pryde startled and looked around until she saw a huge bear, the Ursana race, looking down at her over square shaped glasses affixed to his head. He also had on some high tech coat and a gnarly looking mechanical arm that was whirring ever so slightly.

“W-what?” She managed to squeak out. The bear huffed like he was disappointed in her answer.

“Do you want a drink or not? Assuming you drink. You got a stomach don’t you? Whaddayu want??” He said, getting slightly into her face.

“Uh…um…” She said, quite intimidated.

“Back off Gordo, she’s new. Just give us both a gin and tonic while I get this party started!” Rayda said. Pryde gave a sigh of relief as a thanks to Rayda’s rescue. Gordo grunted as he pulled a couple of glasses from his coat and his arm twisted around before pouring a mixture into each of the glasses. He handed them both one of the glasses before crossing his arms, staring at Pryde. She was getting so nervous under his gaze and she didn’t know what to do. She looked over at Rayda ever so slightly as a silent cry for help.

“He wants you to taste it. He’s very proud with his work.” She said, sipping at her drink. Pryde nodded and hesitantly sipped at her drink. As the liquid hit her tongue and slid down her throat, she looked up at him in amazement.

“F*ck that’s amazing! How the hell did you mix a gin and tonic so perfectly!? I can’t even taste the alcohol! This is perfect!” She said, forgetting her nervousness at the taste of such a mellow and smooth drink. The ursine gave a hearty laugh and walked off.

“Happy to serve, new blood!” He called out as he left. Rayda laughed too.

“Come on, Pryde, let’s get this Fire Festival a swinging.” She said, walking towards the ring in the middle of the room. As she clambered on top of the pedestal that was overlooking a load of wood that smell vaguely of kerosene, the ruckus of the room quieted down as all eyes were on her. “What up, bastards! Captain successfully raided the bar during the Fire Festival so we could have a Fire Festival of our own! Unfortunately he has to fly us out of here due to a little snafu on the planet, but he personally told me that this night is all about us. No work, no duties, no ranks until the clock strikes 12. So, what I’m saying is, go f*cking wild, you filthy animals!” She yelled out. Everyone laughed and cheered at the top of their lungs as Wrench came out of nowhere and threw her the wad of Gamics that Rex had gave him earlier. She caught them, lit them on fire with a flick of a lighter, and dropped it onto the wood that immediately went up into a glorious blaze that made her wince. All those Gamics, gone to the fire. As the party roared and everyone went back to their conversations with louder drunken singing and dancing, Pryde stared helplessly into the embers of the Gamics burning up and fading away. She just then realized the gravity of her situation. She was on a ship in the middle of who knows where with a bunch of criminal strangers and an incorrigible man that holds her life within the balance. How in all of the twelve realms did she end up in this mess.


	3. Lothan Awaits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Are Rex and Pryde meant to be, or do they butt heads to much to ever have a chance? This all awaits on the flight to Lothan.

Rex stared out into the stars. It had been a couple of hours since they left the planet. There was silence all around him yet he was incredibly annoyed. He didn’t know how he ended up with a random Swiftstride on his ship and why, of all of them, it had to be one that could be his undoing. Damn she was beautiful but hardheaded. Why, whenever he thought of her, did he get so annoyed but also wanting so much to grab her ass? He shook his head to get rid of the thoughts as he took out a cigar from his side table. Tonight was a celebration, so he might as well do it with one of the finest cigars in the galaxy and a nice glass of Hathor whiskey. He lit up and took in a long drag. Maybe he could calm down enough to sleep tonight. He hadn’t slept for a few days and sooner or later his body would crash. Unfortunately, as much as he would like to sleep, the nightmares of his past keep him from doing so. It was a vicious cycle of three hour sleeps filled with demons, awaking in cold sweats, then reading to pass the time. He has become an extremely well read lizard, and that was no small feat, but not one that he really took pride in. Rex sighed as he checked the course for Lothan. Three days. He had to deal with appeasing the Swiftstride and not getting in too over his head for three days. They also had to get through an asteroid belt. Unfortunately, some of the space that they will be traveling through will cause them to most likely cross paths with some Sentinel ships due to their tradings in Lothan. That’s why he was headed to Lothan anyway. It was time to do a little more stealing from the Sentinels. Rex and his crew had lifted about 100 Sentinel guns a few months ago and now it was time that they sold to his weapon fence in Lothan. The guns weren’t as hot anymore so they could get at least 10,000 Gamics for them. Rex could pay back Pryde, get her off his back, keep some of the good guns for the ship, all while sh*tting on the Sentinels. Rex chuckled to himself when there was a knock on his door. He didn’t react. It was probably just Wrench or Rayda giving him updates on the party.

“Come in.” He called out while clicking a button to open his door. He then placed his cigar on the ashtray, still lit. As he heard the footsteps coming in, he continued to talk. “Is the party over already?”

“No. It’s still going pretty strong. I was just wondering what exactly my role is going to be for the time being.” The voice said. Rex bristled at the sound of her voice. Unmistakably, it was Pryde’s. He turned his chair to look at her and he was startled at the sight. Instead of the long overcoat and jeans she was wearing before, she was now wearing an oversized shirt with her hair down. He supposed she had some sort of shorts underneath, but it’s not like he was going to ask either. Was she going to bed or something? He watched her twirl her hair and then look at him from under her lashes and then look away as she realized he was staring. No, this wasn’t a going to bed look. She as trying to seduce him.

“If you think you can sashay into my room and bat your pretty little eyes, offering me your body, don’t think I’m going to give you more Gamics or bend to your every whim. I’m not so easily bought.” He responded. She bristled at that and glared at him, almost like she was genuinely upset. She gave a tiny growl as she stomped over to him.

“You colossal, ignorant asshole! As if I would give myself over to you for some petty cash!” She scoffed. “What do you take me for, a slut!?”

“No. You hold yourself much too plainly for that.” He said.

“Excuse me!?”

“I just think you are trying to use your feminine charms to sway me, and it isn’t going to work.”

“Ooo you make me sick! I can’t believe your damn crew even likes you! Calling me a slut and then calling me ugly?? Where do you get off on that!” She yelled, hair bristling. She truly was mad. Maybe he overestimated her coming in here as a plot to charm him.

“I didn’t call you ugly, I just-“

“Well, you didn’t call me good looking either! You really think ‘plain’ is something you use to describe a woman?? How dare you!”

“I didn’t mean it like… Ugh, what the hell did you come in here for then??” He asked, holding his head. This woman was going to give him a damn headache.

“Exactly what I asked you before! What is my purpose here? How long are you going to detain me??”

“Three days, alright? Just enough time to get us to Lothan and sell off the Sentinel guns. You’ll get your Gamics then as well. 20 of them. I know Lothan is a currency planet so you can trade them in for dollars or euros or tenants, whatever you want. 20 Gamics should at least give you 5,000 dollars. Will that suffice?” He said with a sigh. He posed the question at the end but it wasn’t like he was going to negotiate. She placed her hands on her hips like she was ready to hassle him more.

“How much was in the lockbox?”

“Why should that matter?”

“I think I should get at least half of what you decided to f*cking burn in your stupid little festival here. You put me through hell and back today, so how much was in the box?”

“Half! Are you crazy?? That’s about 1,000 Gamics! I’m not giving you half! What do you think I am, a charity?? You’re worth 20 Gamics. That’s it.” He said, spinning his chair back around. She gave a growl as she kicked his chair back around.

“Listen here, lizard boy. Those Gamics were going to get me back to… off that hellhole of a planet and you think you can just get off with giving me barely enough money to get to the next planet over from Lothan? You must be insane! I _need _to get somewhere, somewhere important, and I’m not stepping foot off this ship until you give me the money I need, or your ass takes me there yourself. Got it?” She said through gritted teeth. He looked at her for a few moments before resigning.

“Fine. I accept.” He said. She looked rather surprised before she nodded and leaned back up.

“Alright then. So I should expect 1,000 Gamics once we reach Lothan?” Rex laughed.

“No. Since you ain’t stepping foot off of this ship until you get the money you need, then you are just gonna have to earn it yourself by working for me. Welcome to my crew, a temporary position.” He said with an impish grin. She bristled.

“What!?”

“You said so yourself, you aren’t leaving until I give you the money or I take you to wherever the hell you want, and since I’m not a charity or a delivery boy, then you are just going to have to pull your own weight around here and get a wage just like everyone else. I suppose you don’t have any aversion to thievery?”

“You can’t just hold me here against my will!”

“And I’m not. The 20 Gamics and a drop off at Lothan are still on the table. But once you make your decision and leave that room, that’s that. I offer you 20 Gamics for no work, or an honest wage for not so honest work. You can get 1,000 Gamics by the end of a couple weeks and then some depending on how well you work. So, _Pryde_, what’s it going to be? Walk off this ship with a couple Gamics and get me out of your life in three days, or are you going to swallow your pride and call me captain?” He gave a sly grin when he could tell this was eating her from the inside out. He knew she didn’t want to just leave with 20 Gamics, but calling him captain must be the worst thing in the world if the decision was taking her this long. All he knew is that he was going to have some fun with this predicament, one way or another. She gritted her teeth and he knew he had her beat.

“Fine, _captain_. I’ll do your f*cking jobs, but if you cheat me, I’ll gut you, got it?”

“Oh yeah. I got it. Loud and clear. Now get out of my room.” He said. She looked upset as he twirled his chair back around. From the sound of her footsteps, he knew that she had left. He closed the door behind her and went back to staring at the stars. She certainly was a beauty, even when upset, but if she wanted to play around with the biggest con man of the stars, then she was going to have a lot to learn. He picked his cigar back up and took a long draw before puffing the smoke out and watching it curl to the ceiling before dissipating. He should try to get along with her though. He now backed himself into a corner that his couldn’t get out of due to his love of playing games with pretty women and not wanting to needlessly part with money. If she actually wanted to seduce him, she probably could, so he needed to be on his guard. Nothing was going to get in the way of his plan to make the Sentinel’s pay, not even a pretty face. Besides, there was no way he was letting his heart get hurt again. Never again.


	4. Lonely is the Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe if they just cleared the air the two could get along, but Rex wasn't going to get off accidentally calling Pryde a slut. What happens now?

Pryde walked back to the party in anger. She only changed because the party was getting way too hot with the fire and her old clothes. Rayda was kind enough to give her some of her clothes. She also desperately wanted some sleep. Then he had to go ruin her day more by calling her a slut. Of all the things he could’ve said, that was what he picked. Calling her a slut because she came to his room with a different outfit. He has some nerve. Now she was even more tired because of the sticky situation she was in. A couple of weeks stuck on a ship with that boorish man bossing her around? It was infuriating and tiring just thinking about it. Not to mention the fact that she has to be respectful to him. How could she let it go this far? Although, 1,000 Gamics, a nice place to sleep, food, and pleasant company was a fair deal. He couldn’t sour ALL of that. She would try to make the most of this, but first things first, she needed some damn sleep. If she didn’t forget all of today’s events, including Rex, she was liable to do something she’d regret. Pryde finally got to the party again, lead on by the smell of food and the noise, and she walked in, scouring the room from Rayda.

“Over here, Pryde!” Rayda called out. She was talking to another girl that Pryde hadn’t met yet. She was a Lyrian, one of the fair skinned and higher races. They were iridescent,depending on the light, pointy eared, and quite beautiful. They were the equivalent of those fairytale creatures, a succubus and an elf if they were combined, obviously not magical though. Pryde walked over to them both and the Lyrian looked at her with a grin.

“So, you’re the newbie I’ve been hearing about. I’m Vex, how do you do?” She had a very sultry voice, obviously trained with practice. Pryde had a guess or two about her role on this ship.

“I’m Pryde. It’s a pleasure to meet you. So you’re Vex, huh? That means I’m sleeping in your room with Rayda, right?”

“That’s right. Vex here was just telling us about her latest exploit where she scored some Gamics from this rich man on Ka’rin during the festival.” Rayda said.

“He was obviously looking for a good time, so I took him away from the crowd, showed him a few tricks, and he practically gave me his money.”

“How much did you get?” Pryde asked curiously.

“500 Gamics for the price of a few sexual favors and the chance to see me naked. Not a bad haul might I say. He sucked in bed though. The rich men usually do.” She said wistfully. Pryde gaped. 500 Gamics? That was half of what Rex offered her just for sleeping with a man! It was ludicrous. She must really know what she was doing.

“How could you possibly get 500 Gamics from that?? I’ve never heard of a pay that big for… you know…”

“Prostitution? It’s okay, hun, you can say it. I’m not offended. It’s basically what I do. But I have the advantage of my race to think for the high prices. We secrete pheromones that get the opposite sex quite horny and malleable. If you know what you are doing, you can practically have them begging at your feet. But with my techniques, I have them salivating and rolling over. I give them a small taste and then request my price. They almost immediately agree. That’s why I stick to the rich boys. I may not be able to fight, but this is my way for earning my stay, and damn do I love it.” Vex said with a grin.

“She once brought back 20,000 Gamics in one day when we visited Ovelron. Rex had the rest of us doing some side jobs and she stumbled across one of those old style brothels. We were all surprised when she came back with fat stacks. That was one hell of a story.” Rayda said, clearly impressed. Honestly, Pryde was impressed too.

“So why do you run with Rex then? Couldn’t you just be fine on your own?” Pryde asked.

“I suppose I could, but that’s not nearly as fun and much more dangerous. I’m not a fighter, just a lover, so a sticky situation could leave me dead. I suppose I could’ve stayed home, but that was dreadfully boring. I come from a rich family with high standards, and my sex drive was very much frowned upon. I enjoy creating mischief and living my life, so my family was stifling. I’d sneak out and go roaming around town, seeing what fun I could get into, or who I could enjoy myself with, when I stumbled upon Rex. He was an interesting creature with fine taste, and I had never been with a reptile before so I thought I could snag him and be on my merry way. Instead, he got me to join him and I feel like I truly belong here. No one looks down on me for what I do, in fact, they encourage it, and I get to see the universe. It was the best decision of my life and I’m still just as wealthy. Win win.” She said, sipping on her drink in hand. Pryde looked down. So she had slept with the captain, huh? No wonder he was so quick to call her a whore. He’s use to it.

“So, how was Rex in bed then? Just as bad as the rich dudes?” Pryde asked. Vex looked stunned at the question for a half second before she and Rayde burst into laughter leaving Pryde very much confused.

“I wouldn’t know, hun. He rejected my advances. First man and only man to ever do so. It was actually the most intriguing thing about him.” She said. “Actually, come to think of it, I don’t think the captain has ever slept with anyone while I’ve been here on the ship, and that’s been at least seven years. I mean, he’s brought women into the ship, but he never had sex with them.”

“How could you possibly know that??” Rayda asked, clearly doubting Vex.

“Woman’s intuition. Not to mention it’s like a sixth sense I have. Oh, a _sex_ sense.” She said, puffing out her chest at her pun. Rayda shook her head in disappointment.

“Vex, you may be one hell of a gal, but sometimes you sure are stupid.” She said. Pryde chuckled slightly. She then yawned, remembering what she needed to ask Rayda in the first place.

“Rayda, you think you can show me where our room is? I gotta get some rest. Today has been one hell of a trip…” Pryde admitted.

“No can do, I have to stick around here while the party is still going. I’ve gotta talk to some other people and get things done. Wrench can take you though.” She said. She then typed in a command on the device in her wrist. Wrench scurried up to them soon after.

“You called?”

“Yeah, can you show Pryde to our room? She want’s to hit the sack.”

“Oh yeah, for sure! No problem! Just follow me!” He said enthusiastically, waving her on. Pryde obeyed and followed him out of the door. Wrench was pretty jovial for some young looking man who apparently watched all of his family die eight years ago. She was also curious as to why he stuck around too, besides the fact that Rex is the same race as him.

“So… how old are you anyway?” She asked.

“15. I’ll be turning 16 tomorrow! Captain says I get to have a cake and a glass of his best whiskey!” He said happily.

“15!? You’re just a kid! You shouldn’t be drinking whiskey or even being a worker on this ship!”

“Why not? I’ve been doing both since I was eight. Rex said that drinkin’ helps you forget. He was right. It does help. But he doesn’t let me have a lot. Plus he says I’m super smart. I built this ship after we stole some blueprints for one from a Strarral warehouse about ten years ago after we fled the Sentinels.”

“You built this ship?? From scratch??” She asked incredulously.

“Yeah, from scraps and other stuff we stole. I read a lot of books and stuff from libraries on the planet we were on and I just kinda got how everything worked. I can’t really fight, but I’m one hell of a mechanic!” He said.

“Yeah, you really are. This ship is amazing.”

“Thanks! I take great pride in it!” He said. She was truly amazed that this kid could build all of this, or at least direct Rex and whatever crew was there at the time to help him. That was one hell of a feat. But she was still so curious about the Saurians and what happened to them. They are the least written about race, so they are mostly shrouded in mystery, so being in the presence of the last two? She was probably one of the only outsiders who could get the full story. Plus, the kid seemed nice to talk to.

“So, why did you build it anyway?” She asked, deciding to pry subtly instead of outright.

“Captain wanted it. He said that it would be the best way to pick ourselves back up from the awful things that happened a long time ago, why we had to leave.” He said, with a twinge of sadness to his voice.

“What exactly happened?”

“The Sentinels. They killed… well… I don’t really want to talk about it to… I just don’t want to talk about it.” He said softly. She bit her lip. That still must be a rough topic, and why would he tell her anyway? It’s not like they were friends. She decided to drop it and change the subject while they continued to walk.

“Um… so why the hell is your name Wrench?” She asked. “It’s kind of an odd name. Is it a code name?” He laughed.

“Nah, it is my name. Saurians don’t get named like regular people do. We gotta earn our name from our pods. The Sentinels only gave us numbers to call us by since it dehumanized us even further. They would be branded onto our backs just under the neck so they could call us out if we weren’t doing what they wanted. I was 9,873. Essentially we were named by how many of us there were and when we were born. Because we never wanted to call each other by numbers, we would look for opportunities to name each other to what seemed fit. I was named ‘Wrench’ when I was three because I tried to eat one before figuring out I couldn’t. I guess it fits since I had a knack for mechanical things.” He said. Pryde chuckled slightly.

“That sounds a little cruel to name you after a mistake.” She said. Wrench shrugged.

“I think it suits me. I’ve grown to like it.” He said. Finally they stopped in front of a door and Wrench opened it up. “This is you, the top bunk up there is free I think. Is there anything else you need?” He asked. Pryde entered the room and looked around.

“The bathroom?”

“Down this hall, last door on the right. That it?”

“I just wanted to say that I was sorry for bringing up a touchy subject. I didn’t mean to ask what happened. I mean, I did, but it was callous of me.” She said. Wrench shook his head.

“It’s okay. It’s just that Captain, well, Rex, wants us to keep that guarded. It keeps the mystery up so we won’t be found and we can continue to have the upperhand. The only people who know our story are the choice few he really really trusts. It’s not my secret to give. If you wanna know what happened, ask Rex.” He replied.

“Alright. Thanks Wrench.” She said, climbing the bunk.

“Um… if it’s any consolation, I trust you. I just got a real good feeling that you are nice. Don’t let the captain get to you, huh? He’s really a great guy, he just has gone through an awful lot, you know?” He said before leaving. An awful lot. Haven’t they all? It’s not like he knew her story. Everyone has gone through some sh*t, not just Rex. From how Wrench talked, it sounded like they both might’ve been slaves. Well, so was she. She escaped too, and, unfortunately, she had to be on her own for the many years while Rex had this cushy life within a ship. Just because he had a rough life doesn’t mean he can be a dick about it. She sighed. Maybe she would try talking with him again, clear the air. They can both share their secrets, quid pro quo. She wanted someone to talk to anyway, after all these years alone. Then again, it’s not like he deserved to know anything about her at this point. She closed her eyes to sleep, thinking about anything other than the next day, the hell that was probably about to come. She silently prayed that he would become more tolerable.


	5. A New Morn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe Rex isn't so bad after all, you know? But, then again, Pryde doesn't really know his end goal. Is he just a lowlife criminal, or is he a misunderstood savior?

It was seven in the morning and Rex didn’t have a wink of sleep last night. Even though he tried, the nightmares wouldn’t let him rest and he found himself thinking about her. He didn’t know why, but she intrigued him, and after a night of thinking about it, he was actually glad that she decided to stick around. Lothan was known for a prison in which Sentinel war criminals were held. It was meant as a hell because of the year round cold climates. Obviously they were good people and Rex meant to spring them out. Unfortunately, he could do the weapon drop and the prison break at the same time because of the lack of hands he had on the ship. He lost a few of his crew members to a Sentinel attack 4 months ago and they haven’t been able to recover yet. Depending on her skill sets, she could be a great asset, and just the extra muscle power he needed to do both tasks in a single trip. He would talk to her about it once she awoke. For now, he would set the ship on autopilot and take a trip to the resident doctor, Falor. He was the first member he recruited to the crew, and his oldest friend. The Picean was a regular fish out of water, literally. They hit it off at a bar and he convinced Falor to join up with him, it also helped that Wrench happened to be pretty sick eight years ago. Either way, he had to get a set of sleeping pills for tonight. He had to get some rest before they reach Lothan in the next three days. He left his room and turned the corner to take the elevator up to the second floor. He then walked down the corridor to the medical bay, knocking on the door to it. He heard a few clinking of metal and groans before a voice called out.

“Come in, come in!” It said. Rex walked in to see a few of his members still recovering from their wounds and Falor doctoring one of them. “Oh, Rex, it’s you. I thought we had another sick patient. Or a hungover one.”

“No. Well, define sick.” He replied.

“Need a few more sleeping pills?” He said with a sigh.

“Yep. We will reach Lothan soon and I need to be in tip top shape for that.”

“Tip top shape mean quitting the drinking, smoking, and these pill poppings.” Falor replied. Rex rolled his eyes.

“I’m here to live my life to better my crew, not better myself. I already cheated death before.”

“Escaping the Sentinel’s isn’t cheating death, it’s called being lucky. And how are you going to better the crew if you’re dead before you’re 35??” He asked, exasperated.

“Just give me the pills, Falor.”

“Whatever, _captain._” He replied, walking over to his desk and unscrewing the cap to a pill bottle. “But these are the only ones you’re getting for a month, so no more drops after Lothan for that time so you can ACTUALLY rest.” He said, throwing him three pills.

“Whatever happened to listening to your captain and not giving HIM orders?”

“I’m your doctor Rex, but first and foremost, your friend. I have the right.” He said.

“Oh, do you now?”

“Indeed. Not to mention the fact I know all your dirty little secrets. Now get out of here. I have actual sick patients that need tending to.”

“What about me?”

“You’re just a big baby.” He replied with a chuckle. “One with a death wish. Send my regards to this new girl I’ve heard about through the grape vine.” He said, going back to the patients.

“Will do Falor, take care.” Rex said, leaving the room. Rex looked at the pills before pocketing them. Three pills for three days. He could do that. For now, he needed some food and some coffee. He went back downstairs and made his way to the mess hall to see what Gordo whipped up today. He rounded the corner before he heard some laughing and joking in the kitchen. He decided to go there first before the mess hall.

“I had no idea that HE was the cook!” A voice said. Rex looked in through the door, propping himself up on the frame, just to listen for now.

“How could you not? He made you your drink last night!” Rayda said. The three hadn’t noticed him yet.

“I just thought that meant he was the bartender. You didn’t say or do anything that made me think you guys were together!” Pryde replied. Gordo laughed.

“She’s not big on PDA, but after she got a little drunk last night, after you left, she was all over me.” Gordo said.

“Oh, shut up you big lug.” Rayda said, leaning up to kiss him.

“You guys are so cute, and totally meant for each other!” Pryde said with a longing look on her face. “I want to find something nice like that one day.”

“With who?” Rex said, walking into the kitchen fully. Everyone startled as they finally noticed him.

“The f*ck Rex!” Pryde said before clamping her mouth shut. “Sorry, _captain._ You scared me…”

“S’ok. I know I came up rather quick.” He replied with a yawn.

“How long were you standing there?” Rayda asked.

“Long enough to know that Gordo and you suck at dating.” He said with a chuckle.

“We do not suck at it! We just don’t publicly display it.” Rayda protested.

“Cap’n, if you were with her in bed, you’d know we didn’t suck at it.” Gordo said. “Well, hypothetically. Quite a bit of sucking happens.” He said with a wink.

“Oh-kay, how about that breakfast now, Gordo?” Pryde said, changing the subject. Gordo shrugged and turned to start cooking. Rex laughed.

“You aren’t eating in the mess hall?” Rex asked. Rayda shook her head.

“She felt a little overwhelmed this morning. She wanted to eat in a more intimate setting before she was thrust into the fray. I told her she was going to have to eat lunch in there though.” She said. Rex sat down at the counter next to Pryde and she bristled slightly. He sighed.

“Relax. We got off on the wrong foot today. I don’t want there to be any animosity between us especially if you are going to be running with us for a little bit, okay? I’m just going to eat breakfast in here with all of you. That’s all.” He said. Pryde relaxed slightly but didn’t say anything. He decided to break the silence with a question. “So, don’t like to eat within crowds?”

“It’s just… it’ll be hard to get used to eating with other people. Most of my meals came from stealing food here and there and booking it. I usually ate alone because if anyone saw or caught me with stolen food, I’d go to jail.” She said softly. “It’ll just take some time getting use to.” Rex nodded slowly as Gordo started plating their food that was done cooking.

“That’s understandable. Too bad though. Being hungry sucks, and I remember a time when I had that problem too.”

“When you escaped the Sentinels?”

“Yeah.” Rex said with a sigh. Pryde then tapped her fingers on the table and her leg shook a bit, like she was nervous or trying to find the right way to ask a question.

“So… what exactly happened… when you escaped?” She asked. The room went rather silent as all eyes turned to him. Rex looked at her. She seemed genuinely curious about the situation, but could he even trust her?

“That’s… and interesting question. Not one I’m willing to answer unless I know what you’re about. Besides, you only want to stay here until you get your Gamics. Why should I let such a guarded secret leave this ship? It’s not a good move on my part because it puts everyone’s life on this ship in jeopardy.” He said. She looked back at him with a slight frown.

“Is it really that harmful that people could die?”

“If it got around to the Sentinels, yeah. We are criminals and Wrench and I aren’t even supposed to be alive.” Rex said. Pryde sighed as Gordo gave them their meals. She was obviously incredibly curious about this but he was glad she didn’t try to push it. Her tail swished as she picked up her fork.

“Then… can I know why you got your name? Why Rex?” Rex looked at her, surprised, as his tail stilled in confusion.

“How do you know about… oh boy, Wrench told you how he got his name, didn’t he?”

“And about the numbers. It was a cute story.”

“Well, mines not as cute. I was given this name at 15 when I started making more and more ploys to get back at the Sentinels while we were enslaved. Any little thing I could to undermine their authority and try to help my people to escape their clutches. I was a thorn in their side until… well… my pod gave me the name ‘Rex’ like tyrannosaurus. You know, those dinosaur things from earth. It was because I was daring, almost like their king. The guy who gave them hope. They just called me Frill before then so they wouldn’t have to call me by my number.”

“Why Frill?”

“I’m not explaining that.”

“Then what was your number?”

“…9,862.” He replied. She seemed sufficiently sated, for now, and they both ate their food in silence with Rayda and Gordo talking amongst themselves. Her questions brung up things he was just not trying to think about, especially not now. He needed sleep, and the reason he had nightmares was just the question she wanted to know; what happened ten years ago. He would’ve told her, but he couldn’t jeopardize the people on this ship, especially not for some woman who was going to leave them high and dry once she acquired 1,000 Gamics. Some time passed and they finally finished their meal. Rayda and Pryde got up to leave when Rex cleared his throat and got them to stop. “I think we should talk about what we are going to do down in Lothan.” He said.

“Weren’t you just going to do a weapon drop?” Pryde asked.

“That’s what I told the rest of the crew while you were gone. That’s what you said, right captain?” Rayda asked.

“I did, but now that Pryde is going to be assisting us, I think the plans have to change slightly.” He said. The two sat back down with confusion clouding their faces.

“Why do they have to change?” Rayda asked. “What are we going to do with all of these Sentinel guns?? If we get caught with them, we’re dead. Lothan is our best shot other than dumping them into space!”

“No, that’s not changing. We are still going to do the weapon drop. That is, you and Vex are going to lead a team there to get rid of the weapons, nothing less than 100,000 Gamics. Pryde and I are going to try and do a prison break with a few of our crew on the sidelines keeping eyes on us.” Rex said.

“What!?” Pryde said incredulously. :You can’t be serious!”

“Yeah, captain, I’m with her. You’ve never done a job with her and she’s never done a job before, and you are just going to make her do a prison break in one of the most guarded prisons on this side of the galaxy!?” She asked. “Why not Vex or me??”

“Because you look too much like muscle and I need Vex sweet talking the fence. I need someone discreet and off the radar helping me, and that’s Pryde. Since she’s a good looking and lithe woman, I think she is just the thing that can get us into the prison without raising suspicion.” He replied. Pryde looked down.

“I’m… flattered… but is this really the right decision?”

“You want to earn your Gamics, don’t you?”

“I mean yeah, but-“

“Tell you what, you do this job with me successfully, and I’ll give you 8,000 Gamics instead and I’ll drop you off at the next stop after Lothan.” Rex said.

“8,000 Gamics!?” Pryde asked, looking at him like he was deceiving her.

“Honest. 8,000 Gamics. Those people don’t deserve to be in prison. They are only there because they fought back against the oppression of the Sentinel tyranny. Eventually, I hope to get so many people on my side that we can finally take down the Sentinels and avenge the mass amounts of death and destruction they caused.” He said. Pryde still looked at him like he was trying to fool her. There was too long of a silence for Rex’s liking as she thought it over.

“May I ask you a question before I make my decision?” She asked. Rex let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding in.

“Shoot.”

“Why did you decide to get a ship and sail the stars with a ragtag team of different walks of life?” She asked. She looked at him with great intent. Rex sighed.

“That’s easy. No one deserves to live or die by the Sentinels whim. I created this group so that, eventually, there would be someone great enough to stop them. A revolution. I won’t let others go through the devastation that I did, that many do. Everyone deserves a chance at something greater, and I plan to give them that chance.” He said. They both looked each other in the eye.

“Alright, captain. I’ll help you release those prisoners. Whatever it takes.”


	6. Preparations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rex and Pryde are now ready to try and release the prisoners and Lothan, but is Pryde's walk as good as her talk?

Pryde said that with so much intensity in her voice that it scared herself. But she meant it. If saving people from the Sentinels was what he wanted to do, then he truly couldn’t be bad, and she wanted to help. He was right, no one should have to suffer at the hands of the Sentinels like Rex did or like she did. Those bastards were beyond inhumane. She shuddered slightly, remembering the hell she was in for ten years. The Sentinels needed to pay, that much she knew for sure. Rex sighed in apparent relief.

“Wonderful. I’m glad that you want to help me and those poor saps.” He said.

“Of course. I’m well aware of what’s at stake here, the Sentinels are ruthless.” She replied.

“You don’t know the half of it…”

“Actually, I really do.” She said. Rex looked at her and then nodded.

“So we both have our own little backstories.” He said. “I’d ask but I don’t want to know since I snubbed you on knowing mine.”

“Maybe one day we can both share.” She said softly. He looked at her and she could tell what she said left a mark on him.

“Yeah. Maybe.” He said. He certainly was pretty hot when he wasn't patronizing her.

“So, captain, do you want me to start getting my fence team ready for the drop?” Rayda asked, breaking the slight illusion that they were alone.

“Yes, that would be ideal. Plus, why don’t you get a couple of guys to be on the lookout for the jail break.” Rex said. He then stood up, beckoning Pryde to come with. “Come on, let’s go do some training. You’re gonna need it.”

“You think I’m not capable of some simple jail break?”

“No, I just want you to know the plan and to see what you can do. Scared you’ll fail?”

“Of course not, captain. I’m going to blow your expectations out of the water.”

“I sure do hope so. I’m excited to see what you can do.” He said. This little banter was sort of refreshing actually. Cute even. They both left the kitchen and Rex lead her down the hall to an elevator.

“Damn, how big is this ship anyway??” Pryde asked.

“Two floors high. Just your average star cruiser, but Wrench certainly out did himself. Gave us the best warp speed and max speed on the market, reinforced armor, and an invisoline for camouflage. Plus, we have a bunch of original tech that Wrench made himself, including the training VR set up top.” He said as they went up the elevator. Pryde gave a low whistle.

“You really lucked out with Wrench, huh?” She said as the elevator stopped on the second floor.

“Sure. He’s a great kid and a genius when it comes to mechanics. He’s rather inept almost anywhere else. It’s not like I’m a good teacher when it comes to school things, neither is the crew. I still don’t think he can read.”

“But he can understand blueprints??” Rex shrugged at her surprised remark.

“That’s just the way it goes, I guess. He loves it though, so it’s okay. He’s still a kid anyway. You should see his collection of movies and games. He found an old PS4 and actually got it to work again. You should see the graphics on that thing. Apparently, for its time, the graphics were amazing but I don’t see how.” He said opening a door for her. She walked into the white walled room with a few training dummies in the corner. Other than that, it was virtually empty besides a ball on the ceiling. Rex flipped a switch on the wall and a hologram appeared in front of them, human, asking Rex what he wanted.

“Simulation 3-6-2-4, Operation Lothan Jail please.” He said in a clear and loud voice.

“Easy, medium, or hard difficulty, sir?” It replied in a modulated voice.

“Hard. I want to challenge the new blood.”

“As you wish.” It said, blinking away and a countdown started as the whole room turned into Lothan. She was surprised at how real everything looked, she even felt the cold nip of the air and smelled the newly forming fog.

“Hard, are you sure??” She asked cautiously as the counter neared ten seconds.

“Don’t think you can handle it?”

“It’s not that… it’s just, I’ve never done the VR before…”

“It’s just like real life. Get in, bust out the hostages, get out. Don’t be seen and don’t get shot. You WILL feel the pain.”

“7-6-5…”

“Oh, and you are on your own.”

“What!?”

“Good luck!” He said, disappearing as the countdown reached zero. All of a sudden, she could now interact with the rest of the world as she saw the jail form in front of her with two Ursana guards in front of the gate and two Pachydems in the sentry posts, the elephant race, and four Pantheras walking along the second floor on the outside go the jail, another of the cat races. This was a hard level. She had to get through all of that without being caught or seen and then get all of the hostages out without being seen as well? She shook out her limbs and stretched a bit before cracking her knuckles. Good thing there were a bunch of crowds around the jail, just like in real life. Lothan jail wasn’t restricted unless you walked in because they had a strict kill policy. No one ever dared to roam in so they didn’t need the extra security. Pryde breathed out before melting into a patch of people that were walking towards the jail. They walked silently toward the jail before the broke off and started walking away. Pryde slipped out and quickly ran into another patch of people before flipping up into an adjacent tree and blending into the thick leaves and branches. From here she could see the movement of the enemies and where there could possibly be an opening. Once the sentry turned the other way, Pryde leaped onto the building, quickly dispatching the sentry and stealing his keys. She slipped into an open window before hiding in the shadows. She was now inside the building with no sense of where the captured would be. There was three floors and she was on the second. She decided that war criminals would probably be the highest threat level, subsequently being on the third floor, so she crouched and started tiptoeing down the corridor. Once she got to a corner, she peeked out to see if anyone was there. There wasn’t, but a camera was turning back and forth slowly. She followed the movement of the camera before slipping into the next corridor. She noticed that the stairs were on the other side of the corridor. She started to move before an ursine burst from one of the doors in the hall. She quickly leaped into a slight opening in the wall, staying as still as possible.

“Who’s there!?” A burly voice said.

“What’s happening, Guard 19?” Another burly, similar voice said.

“I thought I heard something. Stay there while I investigate.” It said, walking towards where Pryde was hiding. Her breath caught in her throat as the Ursana walked closer to her hiding spot, sniffing the air. As he neared the spot, Pryde breathed in, hoping the other guard wasn’t in sight as she spun from the spot, unsheathing her claws and jabbing them into the Urbana’s throat. He didn’t even have time to scream as blood gurgled and he fell over with a thud. Pryde quickly ran and stood against the wall beside the door frame where the other guard was, back against the wall.

“Guard 19? What was that thud?” The voice said as he came from the room. The Ursana saw the other one, dead on the floor and ran to him.

“Guard 19!? HQ-“ Before the next words were out, Prydes claws burst through his throat and he fell over onto the other bear. Pryde quickly crushed his comm device, grabbed his gun, and ran up the stairs. Once up top, Pryde slowly opened the door. Four cells were connected to one another with four people in each cell, all human. One of the worst species for stealth and agility. She rolled her eyes before looking around the room. There was a guard sleeping in a chair and one pacing the floor, both Pachydems. She watched the one pacing the floor as she stayed in the shadows. As the guard turned away from her, she quickly ran up and placed the gun against his head.

“Open the doors to the cells or die. Say anything and die.” She said, softly so the other wouldn’t wake. The guard gulped as he walked slowly to the doors and opened them before Pryde shot him in the head. The gunfire of these high tech guns were rather quiet, but still loud enough to wake the sleeping guard. As he sat up in a daze, Pryde quickly whirled around and shot the guard four times in the chest. He fell over, dead. The criminals walked out of the cells and grabbed the two guards guns. “Let’s go, hurry up.” Pryde said. The humans nodded as they followed her back down the stairs where they came from. Once the reached the bottom of the steps, a couple of Panthera guards were walking around the corridor, looking in the doors. Obviously they were looking for the killer of the two guards. Pryde pushed the humans back up the stairs. “We can’t go that way, the guards will be crawling all throughout the jail now… I should’ve hid the bodies. Come on.” She said, going back up the the cells. Fortunately there was a window overlooking a balcony that she didn’t notice, so she herded them out there. “Go on, up on the roof.” She said, reaching up to a low overhang and pulling herself up. The humans did the same and they walked on the roof, looking for a way down. On the other side of the building there was a ladder going all the way down to the ground. There didn’t seem to be any sentries in sight, probably because of the two guards being found. Right as she thought that, alarms started blaring. She quickly ran to the ladder, the humans following her. They all started climbing down the ladder quickly as they heard guards running around in the jail. Once on the ground, Pryde ran back to her starting point with the humans following behind. Once there, the VR simulation melted around her and Rex was sitting on a chair, clapping slowly, rather sarcastically. “What’s with the patronizing claps? I completed the mission without getting caught!”

“Sure, but you were lucky. You killed four guards and knocked out a sentry, failing to get rid of the evidence and causing the jail to go into lockdown. If the guards had called in the two dead Ursana’s before you got up on the roof, you would’ve been locked in and killed. In real life, you might not be so lucky.” He said. She looked down. He was right. She should’ve hid the bodies. “But… you did impress me. Your use of stealth, agility, and assassinations were very calculated and fluid. I was in awe watching you work. You’ll run through a similar simulation again until you can do it right, but I knew you were the right person for the job.” He replied. She looked up at him and, despite the situation, she smiled. Sure she may have failed the mission in his eyes, she had praised her. He even said that he loved watching her perform. She had _impressed _him. That was no small feat considering they were butting heads yesterday and he called her a slut. She cracked her knuckles.

“I’m ready, captain. Let me try again.”


	7. Mixed Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So Rex is feeling a little bit weird around Pryde and he doesn't know why. Any guesses on why?

She trained until she was dripping with sweat. Rex was very much impressed with her resolve and her determination to get the simulation right. He even joined in on a couple of rounds where he was one of the guards and then her teammate. She managed to win over half of the simulations they ran through, either by luck or skill, and he was very impressed and intrigued. Also slightly turned on. He had never met a woman with no ties to them at all, work so hard to impress him and wanting nothing in return. Usually the women that he cons into giving him Gamics or other items, or the women who just want him, usually ask for sexual favors or just straight up sex. He would agree to the sexual favors now and then depending on the quantity of his score and the quality of the woman, but he never agreed to the sex. He hadn’t felt the pleasure of the action since eight years ago when Wrench and he fled from certain death. He couldn’t bring himself to get attached to someone, not again. Even so, women were usually satisfied when he offered to please them other ways because he certainly knew how to get the job done and quickly. They were all screaming his name in heated breaths without him even having to use his dick, and none of the screams pleased him whatsoever. He never got turned on when doing a job, so he just hasn’t felt the touch of a woman in ages. So he was pleased that she wanted nothing from him but, then again… he wasn’t.

“F*ck! I almost beat my time! I was only a few seconds off! Run the simulation again, Rex!” Pryde said through gritted teeth. He wanted to hear her scream f*ck and his name with heat and passion. He wanted to make her scream like that and he was very confused.

“No, that’s enough of the simulation for today. Instead, let’s spar quickly, okay? We have to get ready for Wrench’s celebration anyway and we’ve gone way past lunch. I’m surprised you aren’t hungry.” Rex said, because his stomach was gnawing at itself.

“Oh no, I’m _starving_, but hunger makes the body work harder for food. I’ve learned that the hard way. I’m ready to spar and then wait for Wrench’s party and dinner.” She replied, getting into a fighting stance.

“Fair enough.” He said, getting into a stance himself. “Just so you know, I’m not going to go easy on you.”

“I wouldn’t have fought you otherwise, but you’re going down, lizard boy.” She said with a playful smirk. He laughed.

“That’s CAPTAIN lizard boy to you.” He said, shaking out his fists. She smirked as she charged at him. He was surprised about how fast she was even though he anticipated her to be so. Swiftstrides didn’t get their name for nothing, but she was definitely faster than he imagined. He was only barely able to dodge her fist as he felt the wind move past his face. He quickly used his palm to keep her arm moving, causing her to spin with the momentum of the swing as he pushed his leg in front of hers causing her to lurch forward. She quickly recovered though, not tripping as he wanted her to, but ducking into a roll and spinning back around to face him. He wasn’t just going to stand there though. Before she turned around, he was already right behind her. She startled a bit, seeing him there before she swung up at him with her arm. He quickly blocked it with his forearms as he quickly spun. She must of thought he was turning to leave because she swung at him from behind before he heard an ‘oof’ escape her lips. He spun so that his tail would hit her side, catching her off guard, which it did all too well. She flew a little ways, sliding on the ground before cursing and launching back up at him, claws unsheathed. He caught her as she flew at him, claws embedding slightly into his thick skin. He grunted as he forced her onto the ground, taking in more of her claws due to the force and momentum, but he had her pinned. His sheer weight and strength caused her to struggle for a few moments before she gave up.

“Okay, okay… you got me…!” She breathed out. They were both breathing heavily and sweating as he stared at her with a slight grin.

“Wow… you really know… how to fight…! You actually gave me… a challenge!”

“I would’ve….. I would’ve had you if…. It wasn’t for your tail….” She said softly. The sweat from his face dripped slight onto her nape, pooling with hers that was slowing forming. He never realized that her eyes were a beautiful gold color, like the sun was captured into her eyes. They both kind of looked at each other until she broke the silence.

“You’re staring…” She said softly, looking up at him from under her lashes. That brought him back to reality. He shook his head to clear his mind before getting off of her. He swore that he saw her look a bit disappointed, but any disappointment he may have seen was gone from her face in a flash.

“Sorry, just catching my breath.”

“Right…”

“Anyway, you should get down to the kitchen to see what Gordo has planned. I’ll fetch Wrench and the rest of the crew into the mess hall.” He said.

“We aren’t going together?” She asked, slight disappointment lacing her voice.

“No. There’s no point. Just go on down to the kitchen. You know the way.” He said more curtly than he meant. To be honest, he didn’t want to leave her right now, but he had to. He was starting to feel ways he had never felt since eight years ago. He had to tear himself away, nip it in the bud before his heart was ripped out again.

“No point. Right.” She said, probably as cutting as she sounded. He winced slightly as she left the room, leaving him in the wake of his decision and wondering if it was the right one. He sighed and left the other way, decided he would use the stairs instead so they didn’t cross paths until the party. He at least wanted to give her some time to cool off before then. He believed, in her eyes, he was the bad guy all over again. He went down the stairs, stepping rather heavily down them, as he started sending a message to all of the crew, expect Wrench, to meet in the mess hall for Wrench’s party. He then made his way to Wrench’s quarters. He got to have a room to himself since he was the one who made the ship and since he’s the only underage person on the ship. He had a lot on his mind now. He wondered why his heart was betraying him, giving him different emotions despite his jaded view on love, and he wondered she was the one to give him these questions with no answers. Maybe it was because she was sorely unattainable. She was going to leave the ship right after she got her Gamics and he would never see her again. There was no use in exploring the feelings. There was no use in her. But as hard as he tried, he couldn’t deny the feelings that were forming in his heart. He walked down the long corridors, nearing to the back of the ship where the brig was and the engine room. Before he reached that area, he turned to the right where he was met with a door. He sighed before rapping on it loudly.

“Wrench, you in there, half pint?” He yelled through the door. He could hear rapid footsteps as Wrench flung open the door.

“Dammit Rex! You scared the life outta me!” Wrench said with a huff. Rex could tell that he had been frightened as well, as the blackish brown color of his skin started to turn back to white. Wrench was the type of Saurian that changed colors depending on his mood. He looked more like a gecko but acted like a chameleon. If he was to describe Wrench in the simplest terms, he was Toothless from that unrealistic movie about dragons. Adorably blank faced but also quite smart. “Couldn’t you have just called me on our comms instead??”

“Could’ve, but then I wouldn’t have got to tell you happy birthday in person.” He said, grabbing Wrench and pulling him into a headlock. “Happy birthday little brother, but you best not let the crew hear you callin’ me Rex.” He said, giving him a few noogies.

“Aw, Rex come on! Lay off!” He said, trying to push him away.

“Not unless you want me to punch ya 16 times instead!”

“Ahhh! Not that birthday tradition, please! You hit to hard!” He whined. Rex let him go and chuckled slightly.

“You need to get some more meat on them bones then.”

“You say that every year. When you gonna learn that I ain’t gonna get any bigger?”

“Once you learn to take it like a champ.” Wrench rolled his eyes and then laughed some.

“Thanks for the happy birthday, brother. So it’s time for my cake, right?” He asked.

“Of course, but first let’s get to the mess hall, I got a surprise for you.” He responded.

“Is it the whiskey!?” He asked excitedly.

“Ah, sh*t. I did say that you could have a sip, didn’t I?”

“A glass, Rex, a _glass_ of your best whiskey! You said that!” He said exasperatedly. Rex laughed.

“You can have it before bed, okay? You’ll sleep like a baby.” He said, walking off, beckoning Wrench to follow. Wrench followed closely behind, his tail swinging excitedly as his skin started to a reddish orange hue. Rex could tell that Wrench was very excited since his skin started to change. Rex realized that his skin would only change if the mood he was feeling was extreme or he was inebriated or his guard was down. He had learned to control it from his earlier years. They walked back up the corridors to the mess hall when Rex looked back down to the peppy teenager. “What are your thoughts about Pryde?”

“I didn’t tell her about our backstory if that’s what you’re getting at!” He said with a start. “I told her that it was a closely guarded secret that was only YOURS to tell! I promise!”

“I know, Wrench, I know, calm down. I wasn’t asking about that. I just want to know what you think of her.”

“Oh… well… I think she’s really nice, and like, super pretty. She’s much prettier than the hags you usually bring on the ship. She ain’t no hag. Plus, when I saw her this morning before she left to the kitchen for food, she told me happy birthday! I can’t believe she remembered! Plus she was pretty interested in me for a girl. She was askin’ me how I got my name and stuff and the ship and pretty much a lot of things!” He said, puffing out his chest like he was proud. “She must like me! Like… _like _me like me.” He said, grinning. Rex laughed out loud at that.

“In your dreams, kiddo, you are WAY to young for her. Besides, I’m sure she was just curious since she was pretty much launched into this life full force. You’re easy to talk to.”

“Dammit. I knew it was too good to be true.”

“What was?”

“Getting my first girlfriend and kiss!” He said.

“Oh yeah, you ARE still a virgin, aren’t you?” Rex said, snickering.

“Shut up!”

“And you really thought that some stranger was going to fall in love with you day one??”

“Hey, a man can dream…”

“When did you become a man?? I still see a boy right now.”

“I’m _sixteen, _Rex. I’m practically an adult!”

“Says the kid who still can’t drink legally. Come talk to me when you finally get your cherry popped.”

“Bastard…”

“Watch it, small fry.” Rex said. Wrench rolled his eyes and Rex laughed softly. Moments like these reminded Rex that he really didn’t need anyone in his life. It was going to be Wrench and him when they day. That’s all he needed, right? Finally the two rounded the corner and they came face to face with the doors to the mess hall. Rex stood back as Wrench looked at him curiously. “Go on, open the door.” He said. Wrench shrugged and pushed it open. All of a sudden, he was greeted with loud pops of confetti as all the crew, and Pryde, yelled surprise and then happy birthday. Wrench started, turning black in fear before his skin quickly changed to a yellowish orange in excitement and love for his fellow crewmates.

“You guys! This is amazing! I didn’t know this was gonna happen!” He said, happily hugging Falor as the other crowded around him.

“Sixteen is a big number, little dude. You can legally drive now on Earth.” Rayda said with a laugh.

“Or pilot a ship on Soltura, as far as I heard.” Vex replied.

“Maybe I’ll let you drive ‘The Nameless’ a little bit on our way to Lothan.” Rex said.

“Really!?” Wrench said excitedly.

“Of course not!” Everyone laughed as Wrench frowned. “But, I’ll let you pilot one of our little fighter pods. How’s that?”

“Super cool!”

“And here’s your cake!” Gordo said happily, bringing out a three layer and decadent cake. “I spent all day on this bad thing so you best like it, boy. There layer chocolate cake with vanilla frosting.” Wrench looked so happy in this moment, like he was going to cry.

“And don’t forget your gifts!” Another crew member said. “We all got you a gift, pooling our resources to get you a few.” Wrench startled.

“Really?? This is the first year I’ve ever gotten gifts!” He said, confused. Rex cleared his throat.

“Sure, that’s true, and none of us really celebrate our birthdays like regular folk, but sixteen is a pretty big number. You deserve a nice birthday anyway, Wrench. But don’t get use to it.” He said. Wrench grinned from ear to ear as he ushered everyone back inside so he could open his gifts and everyone could eat cake. Rex stayed back as he watched Wrench happily tear into everything as everyone sang and had a merry time. He would give Wrench his gift later. What Rex didn’t realize was that Pryde hung back too.

“Why aren’t you up there with your crew?” She asked, jumping him slightly, although he didn’t show it.

“He doesn’t need me to have fun. Besides, I’ll give him his gift from me later. Why aren’t you up there?” He asked. She shrugged.

“I just don’t feel like I belong.” She said softly. “I’m not a member of the crew and it’s not like anyone wants me around anyway, not even you.” She said. He looked over at her, surprised.

“What do you mean? I practically begged you stop stay and help me bust out those prisoners!”

“Sure, but that’s because you needed extra hands. You made it perfectly clear upstairs that there wasn’t any point for us being around each other.”

“Come on now, that’s not what I meant.”

“Then what did you mean, _captain._” She replied. He winced. She was back to giving him sarcasm.

“I just meant there wasn’t any point for us to go together. We could cover more ground that way. Besides, I needed to go get Wrench…” She huffed.

“Mhm.” He sighed, a bit peeved.

“Pryde, if I didn’t want you here I wouldn’t have asked you to help. If I didn’t want to be around you then I wouldn’t have trained with you, I would’ve had you train with Rayda. If I didn’t want anything to do with you then I wouldn’t be talking with you now.” She finally looked over at him, the animosity seemingly gone but her lips were still pursed. “If you don’t believe that, then fine. I’ll be in my quarters.” He then left her there, going back to his room. As he walked away, he made sure to make a quick stop to leave a glass of whiskey and a new playstation game by Wrench’s door for when he came back.


	8. Holding a Torch for You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wrench is such a cute and happy boy, happy birthday kiddo! But why does Rex like to leave so much? And what's Pryde to do?

Pryde watched him walk away with a frown on her face. He didn’t even get anything to eat, he must be as starved as she was. She was also annoyed that he just left her there, again. But now wasn’t the time for that. She decided to join the group as they started to disperse to wish Wrench happy birthday again and to get a slice of cake as dinner was starting. Wrench looked as happy as a jaybird, a deep orange hue. His tail waggled as she saw her walk up.

“Hey Pryde!” He said.

“What’s up with your skin? Aren’t you white?” She asked.

“Oh, uh, my skin changes colors with my mood. White is just my base color.”

“That’s pretty cool. Anyway, happy birthday.”

“You already said that!”

“I know! I just wasn’t able to get you anything for it so I thought’d I’d say it again…”

“It’s okay. You didn’t even know it was my birthday until last night. Anyway, it’s not like we are friends or anything. I mean, I’d love to be your friend but we are practically strangers. I wasn’t expecting a gift.” He said. Pryde smiled sadly.

“Yeah, that’s true I guess.” Wrench frowned as he played with a huge stuffed toy someone got him.

“I guess we can’t really become friends anyway… You don’t want to stay here, do you? I heard that you were just here to collect some Gamics and hit the road.” He said, looking a little betrayed. Pryde bit her lip.

“It’s not exactly like that, Wrench… You just don’t get it…”

“I get that you’d rather Gamics then a family. I also heard from someone that you are trying to get somewhere, looking for a home or whatever. You were alone when you came up here.” She sighed. He was just a kid but he was still pretty knowledgable on the world. She could tell he was hurt by this newfound information.

“I don’t really know what I want, Wrench. I know I had a family, once, a long time ago, but I am alone now. It’s not like any of you guys want me here either.”

“That’s not true. I’d love it if you stayed with us! You’re the only person on the ship that doesn’t actively make fun of me. They say it’s love teasing but I don’t get it.” He said. Pryde laughed softly.

“That’s just what families do, I guess. Tease each other. But you’d really want me to stay?”

“Yeah! You’re cool. And I’m sure the other’s would like it too. It’s not like all of us were together since the beginning. Rex hires people to come work for us and eventually they just decide to stay.” He said. “It’s a weird family, but I like it.”

“Yeah. It seems nice. Well, I’ll catch you around, Wrench. I’m going to get some food. Happy birthday again.” She said, gingerly touching his shoulder. He smiled as he went back to his gifts. She left him and got a couple of plates of food that were out on the table. Even though he was stubborn and unrefined, she was still going to bring him food. She felt partly responsible for his starvation. She grabbed some utensils before walking back towards the quarters. She decided that she was going to stop by her room first and change out of the sweaty clothes. Normally she wouldn’t care but for some reason she wanted to look good for him, and smell good too. He was so close to her up in that training room, she could smell his musk dripping off of him and it was intoxicating. She was sure he was going to kiss her when he just stared at her pinned body but he didn’t. That’s what pissed her off. Was she inadequate or something? She was a prize to be won and he should’ve been jumping at the opportunity to get a taste of her. Of course she would’ve rejected his advances but he should’ve at least tried. At least, that’s what she was telling herself. Truth is, she probably would’ve let him do it. She wanted that kiss, that touch. She practically longed for it. His body was so muscular and strong, she felt like he could treat her right. Besides, it was the least he could do for putting her through all this trouble. She had so much pent up energy and she wanted the release. Obviously she wasn’t going to say a damn thing though. He doesn’t deserve the satisfaction, knowing he’s moved her. He was just a means to an end anyway. She finally got to her room and decided to go the less modest route. Vex had let her borrow some clothes as well so she wouldn’t be stuck with one gross and sweaty outfit so she decided to put that on. It was a low cut shirt that showed off her amazing cleavage, if she said so herself, and some pajama shorts that hugged tight to her ass. She was going to get some tonight if it was the last thing she did, and what better slap to his face then to be won over by her? It’s not like he could resist either, she saw it in his eyes; he wanted her. She just had to lay on the charm _thick_ if she was going to break him. She brushed over her hair with her hands as she pinched her cheeks to get into the mindset before grabbing the plates and leaving her room. She walked down the corridors and hallways alone due to the party still going strong. She was thankful that no one saw her in this state. She felt a little self conscious and she knew she would feel degraded if anyone saw her dig so low as to dress like this just to get some dick from the captain. It’s not like she could ask anyone else for sexual favors anyway. The only other man her age that she spoke to was Gordo but he was taken, and not really her type. She finally got to Rex’s quarters. Suddenly she felt rather nervous as she stared down that metal door leading to his room. She was about to put herself out there, and he was definitely able to reject if she didn’t hook him quickly. She breathed out slowly as knocked on the door with her foot since her hands were full.

“Come in.” He called out rather unenthusiastically as the door opened for her. He was sitting in his chair facing away from her so she could only see his head peaking out above it. He was watching the stars as he brought a glass up to his lips to drink. It was an amber color so it was probably alcohol. He didn’t turn around to greet her as the door closed again. She cleared her throat and he finally acknowledged her by turning around.

“Oh, Pryde, I thought you were Wrench coming to-“ He stopped mid sentence as he finally took in what she was wearing and who she was. He looked her up and down, once, then twice. That’s how she knew she had intrigued him. He sat back slowly in his chair, covering his face with his hand. “Thank me for the gift… what… are you doing.”

“Bringing you food. I know we were both starving, and since you are the only one I really feel comfortable with because of my situation, I thought I’d eat in here with you.” She said, lying a bit as she watched him try not to look at her.

“And you thought that you would just be invited in here to eat with me?” He said. She sighed, rolling her eyes before frowning at him.

“Are you going to be so rude and tell me to leave??” She said. He coughed and rubbed his face with his hands. He sighed.

“….no, no, sit down.” He said, gesturing to a chair near the wall. She brought it over to him, sitting down and handing him his food. She watched him as he ate, taking in some of the food herself. It was kind of awkward just sitting there, eating with him, when she so clearly needed release, but then again, she was starving. It would be good to go at it without strength anyway. Besides, he looked like he needed some release too. He looked like he was dead tired, and then some. As he started to finish his food way before she even got half way done with her’s, he started sipping at his drink.

“So… why do you look so damn tired?” She asked, continuing to eat.

“Because I am. Haven’t slept more than six hours in the past five days.” He responded. She gaped at him.

“Six hours in five whole days!? How are you still standing!” He shrugged.

“Resolve and strength I guess. I’ve gotten use to it.”

“Why??”

“Nightmares I guess. They’ve kept me from sleeping since eight years ago. It doesn’t matter though. Eventually I crash and my body rejuvenates itself. I don’t have nightmares when my brain is too tired to make em. Sometimes I let Falor knock me out with some sleeping pills.”

“Falor?”

“The ship’s medic. You won’t see him much unless you need tending to.” He replied. “So what’s with your get up?” Finally he noticed. She faked confusion.

“My clothes? What do you mean?

“You were wearing different clothes when we last saw each other, and those aren’t you’re pajamas.” He replied. She continued to fake confusion even though she was positively pleased with herself for hooking him so easily.

“Vex lent me some new clothes so I don’t have to wear the same sweaty stuff everyday. I’ll get around to washing my clothes soon and buying new ones on Lothan with my Gamics. Also, I didn’t want to eat my food smelling like sweat.” She said. She could tell that he wiped himself down but didn’t bother to shower. It’s not like he stunk though. He only smelled like his reptile musk. It was a bit overpowering, obviously, with the added sweat, but she rather liked it. Made him smell like a man. He nodded thoughtfully.

“So…. It’s just because you were sweaty?” He asked, looking at where the shirt cut down into the cleavage. She smirked slightly.

“Yeah. Do you like it?” She asked him, knowing she was toying with his emotions. She felt slightly bad that she was working him just to get some favors but it’s not like he hadn’t been worked before. Vex did say he brought women onto the ship all the time. Besides… she was actually thinking about staying. Ever so slightly. Wrench’s words had moved her. Could she even get to Volara with 8,000 Gamics, especially from Lothan? To her knowledge that was six warp tunnels and four planets away. 8,000 Gamics would probably only get her through two warp tunnels, if even that. Then where would she be? Back on the streets trying to pilfer cash and food without getting caught, but all in a new planet she knew nothing about. She would stick out like a sore thumb and surely by caught. She was better off here, learning to become a family with people who could learn to love her, and an intoxicating captain. Wrench did say that the crew members earn a living by doing what the do so either she could eventually gather enough money to get to Voltara or she could win over Rex and ask her to take her there himself. One last ‘mission’ to get her out of his hair, metaphorically speaking since he had none due to practically being all lizard. She wondered what his dick looked like, and his stomach. She was rather human besides some of her features and anatomy.

“Yeah… it suits you. You look nice in it… but why wear it now? In here? Why not just wear the pajamas or your normal clothes? It’s not like the sweat bothered me, I mean, we were sparring.” He said.

“Yeah, but unlike you, I don’t like to be sweaty. Can’t a girl change if she wants to?”

“Sure, but I can’t help but think that you want something from me.”

“There you go again with the slut talk! Can’t you give it a rest!” She said, showing anger. Obviously she wasn’t since she WAS trying to get sex, but he didn’t need to know that. This was to hook him in even further.

“That’s not what I meant! Okay, so you don’t look sexy or slutty, geez!”

“Really? I don’t look sexy to you? Then what am I? Homely??”

“Stop twisting my words around! You look gorgeous okay? But that’s none of my business!”

“Would you like it to be your business?” He looked at her, his neck even seemed to vibrate slightly, like he had flaps there or something. But then again, it stopped as soon as it started so maybe she was imagining it.

“What??”

“You heard me. One time offer, right here, right now, and I might forgive the little fact that you just called me an ugly looking slut.” She said, tracing circles on his chest and looking into his silver flaked red eyes. They were quite mesmerizing if she did say so herself.

“I heard you… but I don’t believe you…. And I didn’t call you an ugly slut! You are beautiful, get that through your thick head!” He said, trying to resist her tracing circles. She knew she had him even more, though, as he started to lean forward to cover himself. She grinned.

“Why are you leaning forward, big guy? Trying to kiss me?”

“That’s none of your concern.”

“Oh, but it is. I haven’t had sex in literal years. Being homeless with a purpose to get home through stealing kinda does that to you. And you look like you need some relief yourself, considering that I don’t think you are leaning over to kiss me.” She said. He frowned.

“You don’t know anything, cat. Stay in your place.” She frowned and leaned back.

“And what is my place, _lizard._” He stuttered at her words, clearly unable to answer. She had him fumbling over the words to say, trying not to get her upset. It was adorable.

“I didn’t mean it like that…”

“You know, for a guy who doesn’t know what he means, you sure do speak a lot. All I hear is a bunch of sh*t falling out of your mouth.” She said, pausing a bit for him to say something, anything. She huffed. “Fine. It’s clear to me that you don’t want me, so I’ll go. I hope you’re happy, _Rex_, because this is the last time I’ll ask you for- mmf!” She was cut short before she even had time to get out the last words. She was on her lips faster then she could spit. That worked all to well. His kiss was rushed but patient, feverish but also gentle, like he was pulling her into him like a hook in a song. Her heart fluttered against her will as he embrace her, trying to draw more and more passion from her lips that she was all too willing to give. She practically melted into his arms. She didn’t realize how wonderful a kiss could be until he shut her up with one, and she didn’t realize how much she wanted him. She soon came to realize that she wanted much more from him then what she wanted when she walked into this room.


	9. Passion or Poison?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's about damn time, right? Sexy time is on the way, hopefully they will make everything all right, or maybe they won't, huh? We'll just have to see.

Before he could even think about what his body was doing, he was on her. Her lips tasted like honey and felt like velvet when he sunk into them, letting his tongue dance lightly with hers as he nipped a bit at her lip. She practically melted into him, obviously wanting this as much as he did. All of a sudden, she was tugging him towards his bed and he was following, pulling her shirt up from over her head. The shirt was off, flung to the middle of the room with no regard as her hands crept slowly up his shirt, hitching at each of his rugged scars but making circle with them. Her hands were so soft, feeling like something he was truly missing. He grabbed her waist and effortlessly hoisted her up onto the bed, crawling on top of her. As he rushed towards her again, sinking into her neck with hot kisses, he could hear her breathing like she was when they fought, but this time, it was _him _taking her breath away. She groaned some as he planted kisses hungrily along her neck, sucking lightly, as he back arched to get closer to him. He ran his tongue across her collarbone as she pulled her hands away from his chest and started fumbling with his pants. She couldn’t see over his body where he was positioned so he felt her hands moving across the fabric above his member trying to find the zipper. He groaned slightly as he bulged against his pants, feeling tight around the area and longing for her to free him. His mind was clouded as all he could think about was what she tasted like, _felt_ like. It was uncomfortable to be so… raw and longing. Finally, in the quick heated moments of him not letting his kisses up, she found the zipper and set his member free. It feel from his boxers as she pulled open the flap, gripping it tightly. He groaned breathing hot air onto her neck as he felt her soft hands upon his sensitive flesh. He quickly moved his hand to free her from her own pants, still kissing her and feeling her hand start to move. Just as he was about to find the zippers, alarms blared through his quarters. His head whipped over to the HUD that popped up above his chair as he quickly scooted off of her, zipping himself up while hopping over to his chair. She seemed extremely peeved that he left so quick but she has to realize alarms aren’t good.

“The f*ck, Rex!?” She said, sounding surprised and agitated.

“Get the f*ck over it! Don’t you hear the alarms!?”

“That’s what I meant! What’s going on!?”

“It looks like enemies coming up on us, Sentinels. Go inform everyone what’s going on, Rayda will know what to do. They should be in the mess hall.” He said curtly as he flipped some switches and grabbed the wheel to run the ship manually. He heard Pryde run out as he was start up the ship to get the hell out of there. Their ship was pretty maneuverable even though it was kinda big, much better than the hulking fancy Sentinel ships. He heard Pryde run out as he was start up the ship to get the hell out of there. Unfortunately and fortunately, they were coming up on an asteroid belt. They were hell to maneuver through but the Sentinel ship wouldn’t be able to follow them. He paged Wrench quickly. “How fast can we get into a warp tunnel towards Lothan!?”

“Um, an hour since you redirected most of the power to thrust! I’ll keep everything running and moving and hopefully I can get things done quicker! Pryde came by and started shouting what was going on and Rayda and her front team went up to the roof to start shooting at it with the on deck guns and shooting at the asteroids! I’ll be ready for any damage!” He said, signing off. Rex cursed as he saw a few oncoming missiles appearing on the screen. He prayed that the anti-roll gravity on the ship would keep everyone stabilized as he rolled around and swerved past the missiles. He heard some ruckus going on up top which he assumed was Rayda and the others getting up to the deck to start shooting at the ship. He was about 80 miles away from the belt which was about thirty minute time. Unfortunately. The Sentinels weren’t letting up. Of course their thrusts were getting better with time. Obviously they wouldn’t reach him yet, but they would in about 20 minutes. He hoped that he was up to the task of getting them in that belt safely within the ten minutes that they would be close enough to board.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Pryde was huffing as she followed Rayda and the others quickly up the stairs, mostly because she had just been thrust into action right as things were getting… heated. She cursed lightly as the stairs were becoming harder to climb.

“You okay back there, Pryde?”

“Peachy, Rayda… just peachy…”

“How good are you with a gun?”

“I know how to pull a trigger…!”

“Good enough! Just aim with the muzzle and I’m sure you’ll find your mark. Everyone, get into the battle pods!” She yelled as they reached the top. The team quickly made their way into little pods around an open area. They were all tubes that looked like much bigger versions of mail tubes. She quickly got into the one that was left. She saw Rayda slam her hand into a button that was in her tube through the glass of the tube Pryde was in. All of a sudden, she was lurched upwards, a suit forming around her with nano technology as she emerged from the top, right on the roof of the ship. She was stationed in front of a large gatling gun which was a bit overwhelming at first but she quickly found the trigger. As she took in a few breaths of the new air the suit was producing, she aimed the gun at the steadily approaching golden ship and fired. The weapon was strong, powerful, and she knew if it was bolted into the ship, the recoil would’ve killed her. She looked around as she saw the rest of the group, four people and Rayda, doing the same as her, shooting at the ship with fire in their eyes. There was a moment of solidarity that Pryde felt in that moment, like she was meant to be there.

“Eyes forward, Pryde!” Rayda’s voice came shooting through her suit and it startled her slightly. “The Sentinel warship is sending out fighter pilots! Those are fast and quick and I don’t think you’ve seen them before! Just keep up the shooting and try to hit them! Uulith and Koko, cover her and make sure none of those fighter pilots get past the 5 mile mark!” The two people she mentioned shouted confirmation as they switched their focus onto the fighter pilots. Pryde did as well. The fighting almost reminded her of those old arcade games she would find in the bar with certain races mocking them for their simplicity and humans feeling a sense of nostalgia. Galaga, was it? Whatever it was, Rex’s crew certainly knew how to shoot. A bunch of the fighter pilots went down in small bursts of flames, but there were more coming and she felt a sense of trepidation. Something bad was going to happen.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Rex rolled the ship again as he noticed more and more red blips showing up on his screen. Fighter pilots. More than he could count. For every ship taken down, two more took it’s place. They were going to be overwhelmed in the matter of moments. They were 20 minutes away from the belt and the Sentinels were steadily gaining on them. He made sure he was keeping on track, making sure the Sentinels couldn’t track his movement as well, and he felt a little jolt of energy as Wrench was helping giving them more power. He hoped that Rayda’s team would continue to keep the fighter pilots at bay.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

The fighter pilots kept on coming. It was like looking death in the face. She didn’t know how Rayda and the others were so levelheaded and optimistic. They kept on shooting, expertly picking ships from the sky one after another. They even started making a dent in the advances of the ships as no more came from the warship. Then, all of a sudden, a fighter pilot managed to get around the barrage of bullets that were flying by, coming dangerously close to their ship. Rayda quickly swung her gun around to shoot it down, which she managed to do, but they were already close enough for their transporter beams to work. As soon as the ship blew up, three Sentinels appeared on the hull. They were golden elf looking creatures, tall and fair, they looked otherworldly, even for aliens. They weren’t beautiful but then they were. Their skin reflected light making them look sort of like prisms, and they all moved with a hive mind. They were akin to an android nazi army, moving as one with one goal and no deviance from it, eradicate or enslave all who didn’t meet their ideals. They leveled their guns as they started to run at the group. Since Pryde wasn’t doing as well as the others with her gun, she let it go and ran towards the Sentinels herself. As they didn’t notice her at first, she was able to run at them from behind and grapple one of their necks. She quickly found a knife that she noticed was at her side that formed with the suit and lodged it into the Sentinel’s neck. Purple blood spurted out as the other two looked at her, whipping their heads at the exact same moment. All of a sudden, she was attacked, two to one, in a flurry of agile movements from her and a whole new set of gunfire.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Rex cursed as his HUD showed that three other beings appeared on his ship. One suddenly died on his screen but two others were still there, obviously Sentinel. He kept on dodging the incoming attacks from the Sentinel warship as he neared closer to the belt. He was about ten minutes away now and the warship was almost on them. Good thing the guns were still going and the fact that the fighter pilots was making the warship stay at bay. They might actually reach the belt before the warship reaches them. He hoped that Rayda and the others continued to do well as, all of a sudden, the ship lurched forward and he saw that the ship had just taken damage on top where his gunmen were.

“Wrench! Get up to the roof and fix up the ship! The hull has been slightly breached! Also, make sure our crew is safe!” He yelled into his comm device.

“Aye, aye captain! I’m on it!” He said, getting off. Rex cursed. He hoped that Rayda was okay, and wherever Pryde was, hopefully her quarters, she was lying low.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Pryde and the others stumbled a bit as one of the fighter pilots got a good shot in on the ship. The hull was breached slightly so air was being sucked into the pod room. Pryde managed to dispatch another Sentinel but the last one was pretty agile and attentive. He must’ve been the leader. It snarled as it started shooting at her again. She kept on jumping out of the way, but she didn’t know how much longer she could keep it up. As she was jumping, she could see the belt approaching quickly. They were much closer than they were before and the warship was still at bay. She almost smiled when the unthinkable happened. One of the tubes opened up as a person came up on the roof; Wrench. He was in a suit and crawling haphazardly towards the breach in the hull.

“WRENCH, NO!” She screamed, much too late. The breach in the hull was right in the crossfire of her and the Sentinel, and it was almost in slow motion as she saw several of the bullets tear through his right arm and leg. A bone chilling and nausea inducing scream tore through the comms as the newly sixteen year old clung to the ship in agony. Rayda tackled the Sentinel in righteous fury as the kid didn’t stop. He was absolutely determined to fix the hull. He got to the hole and started spraying something on it as an artificial, and most likely temporary, metal formed over the hole, stopping the air flow almost immediately. He then collapsed onto it. Pryde tore over to Wrench, grabbing him quickly and hoisting him up. He was lighter because of space and the gravity, but he was still a little heavy. He quickly brought him to the tube pod as she saw Rayda crush the Sentinels hull with her heel. Pryde clicked the button and only one of the tube pods opened; Uulith’s. That meant that all five of them and Wrench had to make it through the tube before they got to the belt or else they were f*cked. She saw all of the crew making their way to the pod as Rayda ushered them over.

“Get going Pryde! Wrench needs immediate help!” She yelled.

“But you won't make it in time! You take Wrench and I’ll-“

“NO! You have to get in there! I care for you too, okay!? You don’t need to die for us! This is our fight and I’m not going to murder an innocent who just wanted our stubborn captain to f*cking pay her what he caused her to lose! GO!” She said. Pryde was stunned. She didn’t realize how much she cared, how much this crew cared, for her in such little time. She was willing to die just to make sure someone not even apart of their crew was safe. She bit her lip as she got into the pod with Wrench. Wrench was small enough, it might be able to hold one more person. As the asteroid belt was almost upon them, surely going to destroy Rayda with the many rocks, Pryde reached up and grabbed Rayda's leg, yanking her in, as the pod closed around them and shot them down, short circuiting at the end of the trip. Rayda, Pryde, and Wrench tumbled out of the pod, suits coming off of them, as the pod exploded slightly behind them. It was small enough that they didn't receive any damage, but the pod definitely needed to be fixed. Pryde looked over to Wrench who was gasping and bleeding all over her.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no....!" She whimpered, looking up at Rayda with wells of water forming at her eyes. Her whole world went silent as Rayda shouted something into her comm device. Wrench looked rough, and she would never forgive herself if he died. If only she got to him quicker.


	10. A Broken Ship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So Wrench is badly hurt. Poor boy. He just turned sixteen! What now?

Rex finally burst through to the asteroid belt, leaving the Sentinel’s behind them, but the danger wasn’t over yet. He had to maneuver all of these flying rocks and boulders as he waited for the warp tunnel to become ready for travel. He looked at his dash and realized that he had 30 minutes left before he could use the warp tunnel. This was going to be a bumpy ride.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Pryde was still cradling the tiny Saurian in her lap. His chest was rising and falling as he was unresponsive, probably due to the shock.

“HELP! PLEASE, SOMEONE!” She screamed as she looked around.

“Falor is on his way, Pryde, you have to calm down! Panicking won’t help Wrench!” Rayda said, grabbing her shoulders.

“How… how can I not! I could’ve stopped him, or taking the bullets instead! He didn’t deserve this! I-“

“PRYDE! This isn’t your fault! It’s the Sentinels! He’s still alive and we all managed to get out of there alive, thanks to you. You couldn’t have prevented this.” She said sternly. Pryde was sniffling, looking at the boy who was just wiggling out of excitement and giving her hope mere hours before. How many more lives would the Sentinels claim?

“I’m here! Where’s Wrench!” A voice said. She looked over to see a Picean who she assumed to be Falor. He ran over to her as he noticed the bleeding teen and bent over him to check his vitals. “Okay, he’s still breathing, thank goodness, but he isn’t looking too good. We need to get him to my office immediately!” Falor said as he stuck a needle into Wrench’s left arm. Pryde winced at that. She hated needles. “Rayda! Help the newcomer bring him to my office! Keep his body level! The injection I just gave him should slow his heart rate down, giving him more time for me to operate but we need to work quickly. Go!” He barked as Rayda helped Pryde by grabbing his waist and arms. Rayda held the top half of him steady as Pryde took care of the bottom half, his tail dragging on the ground. Falor pushed crew members out of the way as Rayda was hustling Wrench after him, pulling her along. She faced frontward as Rayda faced backward, she knew the ship better than Pryde anyhow. Wrench looked so weak and pale, even for a white skinned lizard. He was losing color quickly, even though he didn’t rally have any to lose. “This way, hurry!” The three finally made it to the medical bay as Rayda and Pryde quickly hefted Wrench onto an operating table and Falor started scurrying around the room, quickly hooking Wrench up and beginning his procedure. “Get out! I need complete silence and concentration!”

“But-“ Rayda protested.

“GO!” Falor was sharp and stern, making both of them wince and turn tail even though he probably couldn’t take either of them in a fight. The door quickly closed behind them as they exited the room, Pryde could barely hear the patter of the doctor’s feet. Pryde bit her lip as her stomach churned from worry and guilt. She gripped her sides and hunched to the ground, willing the world to stop spinning.

“Come… come on… we should get some tea, or maybe some whiskey to settle our stomachs… and Rex needs to know about this…” Rayda said, much quietly and scared like then Pryde had ever heard her speak. She suddenly felt so small, and even Rayda did too. They were both so helpless against this problem and Pryde didn’t want to say a damn thing to Rex in case the boy didn’t pull through, but she knew any hope she had of placating the captain or making friends would be out the window. Rayda helped her up off the ground.

“Yeah…” She managed to choke out. “Whiskey…”

“You should come with me to speak to Rex… I can’t bear to do this alone.”

“Of course… I’ll help, it’s the least I can do…”

“Thank you.” Rayda then helped her along, walking both of them slowly to the kitchen. The corridors seemed much larger and longer this go around. Pryde hated it. They walked in silence, neither one of them knowing what to say or what to do to even make heads or tails of this situation. “Um… I never got to thank you for saving my life.” Rayda said softly.

“What…?”

“Up there, on the roof. If you hadn’t have squeezed me into your pod, I would’ve died. The asteroid belt barely missed us.” She said.

“But I damaged the pod… It might’ve killed all three of us…”

“Yeah, so what? You don’t think we make risks everyday living the life that we do? We knew what we signed up for; a better world or death. Wrench knew that he could die at any moment, and so did I. But you? You were only looking for a way out. To get a few Gamics and move on. You didn’t ask for a life of fighting and death, we did, and yet, you risked your life for me. A human you barely know. You pulled me into the pod with no regard for your own safety, even though I’m sure you knew the risks. Those pods weren’t designed for more than one passenger, two at the most, but you still did it. So… thank you.”

“I… I just did what I thought was best… this is more of a home than anything I’ve ever had in years. You’re one of the first friends I’ve ever had. I wasn’t going to let you die.” Rayda smiled.

“You don’t know how much that means to me. I still had plenty left to give to this world and I wasn’t ready to die.” She said.

“Besides, you were ready to give your life to me… what kind of person would I be if I repaid that with selfish regards?”

“A normal creature. But I’m glad you aren’t normal.” She said. They both chuckled slightly with a sad sigh at the end as they reached the kitchen. They walked in solemnly to see Gordo pacing the floors. Once Gordo saw them both, he lit up and wrapped them both into a big bear hug.

“Oh by Ursa you both are alright! I knew you two went up with the attack team to fight the ship off and then I felt the crash on the ship… then the attack team came running through and neither of you were with them… I was so worried!” He said. Pryde was a little bit overwhelmed by the tight hug, but she sunk into it feeling the warm and friendly embrace. She felt like she would burst into tears at any moment. This ship… this crew was so loving that they would even worry for her or sacrifice their life to her. Rex really did have the best life of anyone she had ever known, even though he was always running for his life. He was extremely lucky, and she wanted apart of this. “I thought I had lost you, Ray…”

“You aren’t getting rid of me that easily, Gordie, especially thanks to Pryde. She saved my life!”

“It was nothing, really…”

“No, it was everything. You brought my world back to me in one piece. I’ve lost so many things throughout my years, I couldn’t bear to lose her too. You have my deepest gratitude. I’ll make you anything you want tonight, even a damn cake if you wish it.” He said quickly.

“Really, you don’t have to fuss. I was just doing the same thing she did for me.”

“Still, I can’t thank you enough. If you decide to stay with us, I’ll put a good word in for you to the captain.” He said, letting them both go.

“Thank you… that means a lot, Gordo…”

“Can you give us a couple glasses of whiskey, Gordie? The way the captain likes em.” Rayda said with a sigh, sitting down. Pryde followed her lead and sat down too as Gordo gave them both a look.

“The way the captain likes them? You never order something so straight and so strong unless something bad happened. What happened, Ray?”

“Nothing, you shouldn’t worry about it right-“

“_Rayda._” The way Gordo said her name made Pryde’s spine shiver. It was loud or anything, but the way he said that made her feeling like even a rock would bend to his will. Rayda sighed.

“Wrench was shot, many times, by a Sentinel. He’s… he’s with Falor right now… he doesn’t look good at all… we both watched it go down like a bad movie.” Rayda said softly. Gordo stumbled back, catching himself on the cabinet before he regained composure and just looked at the ground. All of a sudden, his normal hand slammed down on the counter, cracking it a bit, scaring both Rayda and Pryde. “Honey…”

“Those DAMN MONSTERS! How much more will the take from us!!”

“He’s still breathing! He could make it!” Pryde said to calm him down, as well as trying to make herself believe it as well. Gordo huffed as he poured all three of them a glass of whiskey. Pryde sniffed it and it nearly got her drunk just by the smell. This was definitely strong. What the hell did Rex have to drink THIS for?? She sipped at it, relishing in the warm taste that went down her throat, tingling her extremities.

“Does the captain know about this?” Gordo asked. Rayda shook her head.

“No. I was going to let him get out of the belt first before we gave him the news. Maybe Wrench will be awake by then.”

“Just make sure that right after we pass through the warp tunnel, you’ll talk to the captain. You wait any longer and he’s liable to get upset at _you._” Gordo replied. Rayda nodded.

“I know, and I don’t need him mad at me. He’s a scary, scary thing when upset.” She said, giving a shudder. Pryde stared down into her drink. Two days ago she was sitting alone in her makeshift house getting ready to make her steal of her life and now she was hoping just to sleep and never wake up. That poor kid didn’t deserve any of this, and she was very scared for what was yet to come.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Rex, after barely dodging rocks and obstacles, warped through the tunnel and made it safely somewhere about a day out from Lothan. They were making better time than he thought and he smiled to himself. He was one hell of a pilot if he did say so himself. He switched back on the autopilot and kicked back to admire himself when he heard a hesitant knock on his door.

“Wrench? Is that you? Are you coming to tell me about the damage to the ship?” He asked, opening the door and turning around and standing. “Rayda? And Pryde?”

“Yes sir… it’s us…” Rayda said, looking down. She never averted her gaze, not from anyone.

“What’s wrong? Is the ship more damaged than I thought??” Rayda shook her head as Pryde looked away as well. “What’s going on…?”

“It’s… it’s Wrench… he was shot by the sentinels…” Pryde managed to stutter out. He gaped. “He was trying to fix the breach on the hull when the shot him… he patched it up though, even through the pain….”

“He’s with Falor now. He wouldn’t have made it if it wasn’t for Pryde. I think he will be okay.” Rayda said, trying to harsh the blow. Rex looked down. His lips curled into a snarl as he clenched his fists.

“He’d better be, or else we are going back and I’m going to kill those Sentinels myself!” He spat through clenched teeth. Both of them winced. He forgot how intimidating he was. He also didn’t care. “I suppose Falor doesn’t want anyone going into the room to see him now, does he?” They both slowly shook their heads.

“Nobodies allowed in. Falor said he needed peace if Wrench was going to pull through…” Rayda said.

“Fine then. I’ll wait until Falor contacts us with the good news. It had better be good news.” He said, sitting back down in his chair. The two of them breathed out in relief, like they were scared he was going to try and see Wrench anyway. He would’ve if this was some hack doctor, but he trusted Falor. Wrench wouldn’t die. Wrench couldn’t die. “Go on now, you are dismissed.” He said with a sigh. Rayda left but Pryde stayed in her place, kicking at the ground slightly.

“Um…”

“Can I help you?”

“I just wanted to talk… about what happened…” She said. She then recounted the story of the exploits on the roof, every moment of it. Rex listened intently. “I didn’t realize how much camaraderie was on this ship, and how much people have each other’s back, even if they aren’t one of their own. You truly have an amazing crew and a wonderful outlook on life. I… I want to stay.”

“What?” Rex said, blinking in surprise. She stared him down and he could see she was serious.

“I want to stay her. On the Nameless. I want to be a part of your crew. I don’t even need the Gamics. I want to stay.”

“Why??”

“I’ve felt more at peace here, like I actually have a family, then I ever did before. I believe in your cause and I want to help you, whatever it takes. The Sentinels can’t keep running over people like they do. They need to be stopped, and I believe in you, Rex… Captain.” She said. She was being sincere. Geez… how could she still look so beautiful at a time like this…

“Alright. I accept. But… to know that you are for real and telling the truth of wanting to stay here, I want you to tell me about your past. Why aren’t you on Volara where the Swiftstrides roam? And why did I find you completely alone? Your race are ridiculously social creatures. I find your solitude lifestyle weird.” He replied. She looked down and then crossed over to the chair that she was sitting in just hours before, when they almost…

“My past… it was really awful… unbearable. But… if I tell you my story, then I want to know yours as well.” She said. He nodded.

“Very well. Quid pro quo.”

“A long time ago, when I was still a kitten on Volara, I was kidnapped by the Sentinels and brought to a facility where they put me and other races through genetic testing. Since we are pretty close to their structure and our skin and bodies are malleable, we were the perfect test subjects for whatever they wanted to do. I was in that facility for years, getting tested on, shocked, punctured with needles, the works. Then… I managed to escape. I’ve been on the run ever since. Nine years now.”

“And how old are you?”

“25.”

“27. Ever since Wrench and I were born we have been in the clutches of the Sentinels. Since the Saurians were believed to be an extremely lesser race since we are reptilian and look more reptile than human, the Sentinels captured us all thousands of years ago to work in their mines and the underground to get them precious metals and fuel. We were born in pods and given numbers to remember us by, dehumanizing us even more. Any one who spoke out would be whipped with a nine tail, or killed. Wrench and I were born in the same pod so we grew up together. Eventually I fell in love with this Saurian girl. She was around the same age as me and her pod had named her Rose. We had a great time falling in love, but it was hell because of the Sentinels. I did a bunch of stupid things to try and get my race out of the clutches of the Sentinels, even down to sabotaging a few ships and managing to snag blueprints of the tunnels to escape. I caused my whole race to die because we almost escaped and the Sentinels slaughtered them all. Wrench and I were the only ones to escape.”

“And…what about Rose?”

“Shot down and killed. I never loved again. Wrench and I are the last of our kind, and I can’t sleep at night because of it. If only I had stayed in my lane, no one would’ve had to die.” He said, gritting his teeth. She reached over to hold his hand and he looked up at her in confusion.

“Rex, even if you HAD stayed in your lane, that’s no way to live. And everyone could’ve been slaughtered anyway. The Sentinels are monsters.” She said quietly. He nodded and sighed.

“I know. Plus, I never would’ve met you.” He said. He then blushed slightly as she looked up at him.

“So you’ve never loved again…?” She asked him shyly. He looked down.

“No… but… I’ve also never felt the feelings that you give me. I suppose that statement could change.” He said, bluntly. He saw her face go a full shade of red.

“Rex…” She started.

“Yes?”

“Would you like to have sex?”


	11. Bedside Manners

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wow! Isn't Pryde just forward! What a couple of spitfires, right? Maybe now you'll finally understand the explicit rating that this story received. Bring on the sexy times! Just give me some kudos if you like the passion lol, or comment if it needs some work.

“What…??” He looked liked he was blushing after Pryde blurted her statement out. She blushed too and was startled with herself. Of all the times, places, and situations, this probably had to be the worst time to ask him for sex, just straight up. But, she felt something whenever she looked at him, and she knew he felt it too.

“I know… it may not be the right time… but I think I like you…. And I think we should continue what was happening before… plus… it’s a distraction… the whiskey I had earlier might be talking…”

“I knew I smelled the strong stuff on you… you aren’t drunk, right? I wouldn’t want this to be something you regret later, and I’m not about to be hurt again.” He replied. She shook her head quickly.

“No, I ain’t drunk, not even close. I promise you, Rex, I wanted this when I entered your room before the Sentinel attack.” She replied. Right as she spoke the last words, he was on her all over again, probably still pent up like she was after they got so close last time.

“Sh*t…” He said.

“What?”

“I f*ckin’ wanted it too.” He said, rushing her again. This time, she was ready. His kisses this time were more feverish but gentle, passionate but accurate. He certainly knew how to kiss, that was for sure. She met him with the same intensity though, jumping up to curl her legs around him as he caught her ass and moved her to the bed. She ploped down on the soft mattress as he straddled her, quickly continuing his kisses upon her neck and collarbone. She bit her lip as she tried not to make any noise for him, not yet anyway. He had to do better than that to get her. He quickly pulled her shirt up and over her head again as she fumbled with his. There was just so many latches and buttons! It was a shoddy piece of work but she supposed it kept him protected. She finally pulled it off of him, albeit sloppily, as he slipped a hand behind her back to unclasp her bra. Her hands felt around his top, massaging him slowly with her touch as she traveled lower. She felt his stomach move in as she touched it and she grinned. He was covered in gnarly scars that didn’t quite heal right due to many abrasions from some torture weapon and she bit her lip. She was tortured pretty badly but at least she was fixed up afterwards. Her hands got to his bulge that was forming in his pants, rubbing on it to get it more excited, as he pulled her bra off with his teeth. Her breath hitched as he landed on her breast, swirling his tongue around her sensitive bud before sucking at it, as one hand propped himself up and the other slipped into her pants. She undid his zipper and opened up his boxers, freeing his member, as his index and middle finger slipped in between the folds of her flesh. Her back arched to meet his fingers as he moved them back and forth, generating friction and getting her ready. He continued to kiss at her neck and lips, fighting her tongue with his, as he continued to tease her. She gripped his shaft, deciding to return the favor, sliding up and down it. He winced, she could feel it, as he tried to hold in his noises just as she was. Finally, they both couldn’t take it anymore as Rex pulled his fingers out and pulled her pants down far enough to see her fully. She pulled away from his member, wrapping her arms around his neck, as he poked his shaft against the folds of her flesh, testing to see if she was going to accept him. She did, fully. He slid in, almost too easy due to the teasing he did before hand with his fingers. Her slicked opening pulled him in and he thrusted easily, filling her to the brim. She winced at his length and size, expecting neither, but he felt so good. He continued to thrust, getting quicker and harder with his movements, but not too hard. She knew she could handle more but he was probably saying her from the pain. She thought that was sweet. She groaned as the force cause them to move against the bed slightly. She heard him groan as well. Holding himself up with one hand, he moved his other to grip her breast, holding the bud of her breast between his thumb and forefinger, rolling it around. She tingled with ecstasy as it felt so good. Her hands roamed his body, dragging her fingers across his back as he got harder with his thrusts, more hungry.

“F*ck….” She heard him grunt as she did this. It was dripping with passion and she shuddered, loving the sound. She was so surprised when she felt herself get close to the end. No one had ever done her this right before.

“Rex…! Oh… sh*t!” She moaned out. She could feel his skin heating up against hers as they both began to sweat. “I’m close…!”

“F*ckin’ sh*t! Come then!” He groaned out in a deep, erotic voice. She lost it. She moaned out his name as her body tended, squeezing his member as she felt her orgasm and her back arched. She then felt hot within herself and knew that he had come too, groaning himself. They both stayed still, besides the heave of their chests, as they caught their breath. Rex pulled out slowly, rolling over and falling on the bed. She was so glad that she was on birth control. Neither of them said a word as they stared up at the black ceiling.

“So you haven’t had sex in eight years…?” She huffed out.

“Not penetrative…”

“Sure as hell didn’t feel like it…”

“Eh… it’s like piloting a ship…. You don’t forget…” She chuckled slightly at that and so did he.

“You’re an idiot…”

“But you laughed, yeah? That means I was funny.”

“I know what that means…” They both sighed. She just wanted to sleep now, forget the whole attack ever happened.

“You were nice. And this was a nice distraction, but I’m right back to worrying about Wrench. I can’t lose him. He’s all the hope I have left that I didn’t completely fail my race.” He said softly. Pryde bit her lip, trying not to cry. She felt so overwhelmed.

“I feel as if it’s my fault… maybe I could’ve done something…”

“Don’t talk like that. From the way the things went down, how you and Rayda spoke to me, you couldn’t have done a thing. Besides, he made it off of the roof because of you. It isn’t anyone’s fault besides the Sentinels.” He said. She rolled over to him, hugging him as she teared up. He stiffened.

“I’m just so sorry… he’s such a good kid…” She said, sniffling.

“Yeah.. he really is… um… what are you doing?”

“Holding you…?”

“Why?”

“Because I thought we could both use a hug…”

“Why?”

“Because this is awful? So sad??”

“Is that a customary practice when one is sad?” She blinked and let him go.

“Yes?? What do you do??”

“An apology and alcohol.”

“That sounds extremely unhealthy.”

“Saurians aren’t social creatures.”

“As I’ve realized. Swiftstrides are.” She retorted.

“As I’VE realized.” He said. She sighed and pulled the covers over her.

“You're a strange man, Rex.”

“So I’ve been told. Are you going to sleep now? In my bed?”

“Yes. And I’m not moving. You aren’t making me do ANY walk of shame.” She said, rolling over so her back was facing him.

“Well… okay then… goodnight.” He said.

“You too.” He scoffed.

“It’s never a goodnight.” And that was the last thing he said to her as he rolled over himself. She held herself as she closed her eyes. Today was really awful, but she was starting to fall for Rex, no matter how weird he was. She just wished that she had someone to hold onto. She was so scared for Wrench, just scared in general. Was Rex the right thing for her to do, literally and figuratively? And was staying on this ship the right move? She supposed that she wouldn’t find out until it was too late. Her tail curled around her legs as she shivered, despite the warmth of the covers and his body heat. She was about to fall asleep when she felt a weight around her waist. She blinked, looking behind her to see Rex facing her, spooning her.

“What…?”

“You were shivering. I thought you might’ve been cold, or scared, or lonely. Maybe even worried. I suppose that if I can’t sleep, then the least I can do is help you. I may not be social, and I may hate doing this for anyone else, but I think I’m falling for you. And, to be honest, the hug earlier was nice. And so is this. Goodnight, Pryde.” He said, breathing softly on her neck. She smiled at how blunt he was. It was refreshing and it warmed her heart. This truly was the best outcome. She held his hands with hers as she quickly fell into a deep sleep.

————————————————————————————————————————————————

She awoke the next morning. She wasn’t sure what time it was due to the lack of light in space, but she felt well rested so it obviously was enough. She wasn’t being held by Rex anymore and when she peered over her shoulder, she noticed he was reading. He held an actual book instead of a Holopad. Her nose crinkled at the smoke that was emerging from the cigarette in between his lips. Smoking this early in the morning? He had some bad habits.

“Jurassic Park…?” She murmured out groggily. “What’s that?”

“A novel by Michael Crichton. An old great and a classic novel. He got inspiration from the lumbering, stupid, and huge Saurian ancestors that were exiled to Earth thousands of years ago by the Sentinels. Obviously they died off before him but he called them dinosaurs. The book is obviously fiction but his writing is fascinating.” He said, bookmarking it. “I’ve read many Crichton novels.”

“So why are you reading an actual book instead of you Holopad… and why are smoking this early??”

“Oh, are you bothered by it?”

“Kinda. It smells gross and it seeps into my fur.” She said. He put out the cigarette as he put his book on the window sill that his bed was shoved up against. The stars were positively beautiful.

“I’ll keep it in mind. But I love real books. Something about the smell and the paper just excites me. Holopads don’t give me the same satisfaction. It’s like trying to f*ck an android. Sure they may have all the parts, but they just don’t feel the same, taste the same, or act the same.” He said. Pryde groaned.

“I don’t want to think about f*cking an android…”

“Hey, they don’t make sex bots for nothing. But they really suck.” He said. She sat up, seeing more books on the window.

“Did you stay up _all _night reading?” She asked. He shrugged.

“Yeah. Couldn’t sleep.”

“Because of your nightmares?”

“That… and Wrench.” He sighed. “Speaking of which, you need to get dressed and go on out of here.” She noticed he was already clothed and smelt nice. He must’ve showered while she was asleep.

“Now?”

“Yes. You don’t expect to just stay in here and do nothing, do you? You still have training to do, and this isn’t your room.”

“But I thought-“

“You thought sleeping with me was going to get you off the hook? You are a part of the crew, and last night was just a distraction, as you so put it. A release for both of us.”

“Are you telling me that last night was all that was to you? A distraction??”

“I don’t know, Pryde, I don’t know what it was. But I don’t know you aside from what you told me last night. I may be intoxicated by you, completely and utterly wanting you because last night… if you were an alcohol I would’ve totally gotten drunk… but like all drinks, I have to know whether this is a good thing, like Jack Daniels, or if it’s a habit I have to break. Like Budweiser.”

“Did you just call me a cheap beer??”

“Metaphorically. But you could be a Jack Daniels. But, for now, you need to go.”

“But Rex-“

“I said go! Don’t make me use force. I don’t want to have to do that.” He said. She huffed as she got out of the bed and quickly gathered her clothes.

“Can I at least take a shower, _captain._” She said, glaring at him. He sighed.

“Yeah… it’s through that door there…” He said, sounding defeated. She turned heel and went through the door. He was incredibly incorrigible and infuriating, but she understood where he was coming from. She sighed as she turned on the water and waited for it to heat. She wished he would just let down his walls but she knew he was just guarding his heart from breaking all over again, but she liked him too. And he would see that she wasn’t trying to break his heart if he just used his stupid brain and eyes. She got underneath the now hot water and let it run over her head and body. She sighed. He’s so dumb, why couldn’t he see that this wasn’t just solicitation? But… then again… she didn’t know him well at all. Maybe she was just falling for him because she used to be so alone and only finding her release for money or from people she didn’t give a rat’s ass about. But now, there was someone in her life who actually viewed her as a Swiftstride and a real person. She actually felt like she had a family. And last night… damn… it felt so good, like something she had never felt before. She felt actual love within the love-making, not a means to an end. Did he not get that? Did he not _feel _that?? She looked down as she scrubbed herself. They both had a long way to go if any of this was going to go anywhere.


	12. A Little Wrench in the Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will Wrench ever wake up? And what's the deal with all of this sexual tension? Geez.

Rex and Pryde spent the rest of the two days training, talking, and much to Rex’s disappointment but due to his hand, abstaining from sex. He wanted to get to know her first and train her with no distractions since Wrench was already distracting him enough. He wanted to make sure that this little… whatever it was, wasn’t going to leave him high and dry. He sighed as he sat down in the kitchen, asking Gordo for his usual drink. Pryde was upstairs training with Rayda so he could take a break. He needed a drink. Wrench was taking so long to heal, and he hadn’t seen him or Falor since his accident. He was more scared than he was willing to admit or let on. He sipped at his drink, waving off Gordo to leave him alone. He didn’t want to talk to anyone right now unless it was necessary, or if it was Falor or Wrench. Five drinks later, he ended up stumbling out of the kitchen, definitely more drunk than he intended to be, which wasn’t drunk at all. He leaned against the wall, falling to the ground. He was so tired, it was probably about time for his body to shut down, but he couldn’t right now, he needed to be ready when they reached Lothan in 16 hours. Unfortunately, not having Wrench pulling the strings in the engine room, or around the ship in general, the estimated time of arrival was drastically increased because the ship had to go at it slower so no complications arose. He pulled himself back up and stumbled to his room, grabbing one of the last two sleeping pills that Falor had given him. He was going to go to sleep now so he didn’t shut down at an inopportune time. He popped it quickly, collapsing in his bed, and falling into an awful, inebriated sleep. The nightmares were still awful, but due to the pills, he had no choice but to live them out as his body rejuvenated, keeping him asleep. He couldn’t move, facing the long dark tunnel underneath the ground filled with evacuating Saurians. Millions of them, unarmed, from the newly borns and the children right up to the elders and the nurse mothers. He couldn’t yell or talk, all that could happen was the streams of tears falling down his face as he wished them to stop and go the other way. He knew that he and Wrench were in the tunnel right above, running out after pilfering something that wasn’t even worth it in a feeble attempt to escape, which they did because of the blueprints they had pilfered as well. Unfortunately, they didn’t realize they were tracked by Sentinel cameras, and Rex’s carelessness caused their people to be slaughtered by the hands of the angry and vengeful Sentinels. Rex and Wrench were going to go back for them, he swore, but as the millions of lives raced down the dark tunnel away from charging Sentinel guards, they were only being herded into the heart of the mines as the Sentinel Mine War Leader set off the thousands of explosions, collapsing the tunnels just as Wrench and rex escaped, blowing up all of the lives of his brethren and of the Sentinels luring them to their doom. He cried out, finally finding his voice, as he mourned the loss of so many and shielded Wrench from the aftermath. Then… his mind went dark. He smelled peaches as the nightmares ceased, a warmth around him, warming his body and soul. Still asleep, he relished in the fact that he was free from his torment. He awoke with a start, six hours later, to a beeping on his comm device and Pryde gently holding him. He smiled slightly as he kissed her quickly, believing her touch stopped the nightmares for a while, and slipped from her grasp. Thankfully she didn’t wake and he stepped out of his room so she wouldn’t hear his device anymore. Once out of the room, he clicked it on.

“Yes…?” He asked groggily. “Who’s this?”

“Didn’t you look at the caller ID??” The voice said. His head was still fuzzy from the pill and the drinks of last night.

“I drank a lot last night and I just woke so I’m not really in the reading mood…” He replied with a groan.

“Of course you did. Of course you drank a lot, it’s you! Rex, hurry up and get your ass to the medical room so I can look you over just to make sure you didn’t decrease your life sentence like you seem to be TRYING to do!”

“Falor??”

“Yes, you imbecile! Forgive my language but you can’t turn to drugs and alcohol every single time you have an off moment or something bad happens! As your doctor I advise you to NOT do that!” He said, sounding concerned and angry.

“And as your captain I will- wait… if you’re talking to me then you must have something about Wrench! What’s going on!?” Rex said, immediately realizing the severity of who he was talking to. Falor sighed.

“Yes, about that… you need to come up here with haste.” He said. That was all Rex needed to hear before his heart dropped and he hung up, running down the corridors and up the stairs to Falor’s, despite the slight pounding he could feel in the back of his head. From Falor’s tone, something bad happened and it was all he could do to not throw up due to the alcohol, nightmares, and his nervousness. The blood rushed to his ears as all he could hear was his pounding heart. He finally reached the medical bay, bursting through the door.

“What’s wrong!? Where’s Wrench!?”

“Rex…” a voice said weakly. “I… you came so quick… I’m glad to see you… big brother…” Rex looked over to the bed where the voice came from and he saw Falor sitting in a chair and Wrench looking up at him weakly. Wrench was a grayish color and Rex knew that meant he was in pretty bad shape. Rex rushed over, kneeling beside the bed, holding his hands over Wrench like he wanted to touch him but couldn’t find the strength.

“Of course I came, short stack… you’ve really slacked on your duties… I should punish you.” He said, finally deciding to put his hands on the bed. Wrench snickered slightly. “But I won’t. Welcome back to the land of the living…”

“Thanks. Apparently I was out for a few days.”

“Speaking of, why did you make it seem like something awful, Falor!? He’s awake! Why would you scare me like that!?”

“Because if you want Wrench to KEEP living, you need to keep him from harms way for at least a month, preferably two. He also needs to keep from overly strenuous activities for a week.”

“But he’s our only mechanic and the ship is horribly damaged.”

“I know. That’s why you needed to know this bad news. His right arm and leg were riddled with _eighteen _bullets, Rex. _Eighteen._ I had to pick them out one by one before I could use the repairitor on him. It did as much as it could, repairing the wounds on the epidermis and completely healed some of the bullet wounds, but the really deep wounds need to heal on their own due to the amount of wounds, his stature, his age, and the fact that the repairitor can’t get that deep. I mean, digging those bullets out made more wounds as well. I’m surprised he woke up so soon.”

“He’s a survivor, and a really strong kid. I’m proud of you, Wrench.” Rex said, rubbing Wrench’s head lightly. Wrench looked confused.

“Why? I was an idiot… almost died and left you alone… I feel awful… mentally and physically…”

“Because you managed to fix up the hull before you passed out. You still got the job done and you woke up so quickly. You did good.”

“Yes, I suppose that’s a consolation.” Falor remarked. “Wrench can walk around but it might hurt for a bit and he can do whatever he decides is within his ability. Anything else he needs to do, I suggest he gets a helper to do the heavy lifting.”

“Hear that, Wrench? You get your own little b*tch.” Rex said with a slight laugh. Wrench snickered.

“Hell yeah. Imma make Toro be my b*tch. He deserves it.”

“Why?”

“He took a bite of my piece of cake on my birthday!” Wrench said exasperatedly. Rex laughed.

“Fair enough.” He said. Falor waved rex over to him and they both went a bit out of earshot to Wrench.

“This could’ve been much worse, Rex. He could’ve _died._ You already have so much in your head and heart that I don’t think you could continue living if Wrench had passed. You need to realize that he IS still a kid and not to just believe he can be as aware or smart as the older members of the crew. He’s still growing and learning and he needs to be trained on how to keep himself safe and be aware of his surroundings. Stop going into everything so headstrong and with no regard. Like you.” Falor said. Rex huffed.

“I get it Falor. I get it. I’ll make sure that he stays out of harms way and that I coach him some on how to get out of a bind and to stay aware if he really has to. Let’s hope that nothing like that ever happens again and we can keep him INSIDE of the ship.” Rex replied. Wrench coughed.

“You know I have better hearing than _you_, Falor. I can still hear you guys.” He said. Falor sighed.

“Then you know what you need to do. As well as having a… ‘little b*tch’, I suggest you get Toro to coach you a bit before we get to Lothan and the repairs to the ship begin. He knows a thing or two.” Falor said. Wrench nodded.

“Sure thing, Falor. Can I go to my room now?” Wrench asked. Falor shrugged.

“I suppose that’s fine. Just rest for a few more hours. You should try to get some more sleep.” Falor replied. Wrench nodded and sat up with a groan. Rex sighed as he crouched down, back to Wrench.

“Hop on, kiddo, I’ll take you back to your room.” Rex said. Wrench climbed onto his back and Rex hoisted him up, leaving the med bay and going back to Wrench’s room.

“You haven’t given me a lizard back ride in forever.”

“You’re older now, you can stand on your own two feet. But now it’s necessary.”

“I still like it.”

“You should thank Pryde the next time you see her.” Rex said.

“Why?”

“Because she saved your life. If she didn’t grab you and take you back into the ship and to Falor’s, you would’ve died. Thank Rayda too.” Rex said. Wrench leaned his head in the crook of Rex’s neck, looking like he was going to fall asleep.

“I knew she was a good guy… or girl… I hope you decide to offer her a job on the ship… she’s amazing…”

“Yeah, she really is…”

“So you like her now?”

“Yeah.” Rex said with a slight laugh. “Yeah, I guess I do.”

“Good.”

“Hey, Wrench?”

“Yeah?”

“Take it easy until Lothan. The ship can survive without you for another few hours. You’ll have plenty of time to fix her up then.”

“Gee, thanks Rex!”

“And when you see Pryde, welcome her with open arms. She’s apart of our family now, of our crew.”


	13. The Planet on the Horizon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So I got help on the sex scenes. Can you tell?

Pryde woke up to an empty bed. She had come to talk to Rex for some reason last night, mainly just to shoot the breeze, to see him shaking uncontrollably and murmuring in a fever pitch. He was sweating through the sheets and it scared her. The only thing she decided she could do was hold him. Thankfully that seemed to work. He calmed down almost immediately. It was hard to fall asleep though, breathing in a hard scent of whiskey. He must’ve been drinking a LOT. She yawned and sat up. He wasn’t in the room at all so she figured he was at breakfast or something. She threw on some clothes and headed down to the mess hall. She wanted to ask him what was up last night and when they were going to get to Lothan. She looked around and didn’t see him at all.

“Where the hell is he…?”

“Where’s who?” A voice said, startling her. She looked down to see a Korian race, this one looking like a raccoon.

“Um… Rex…”

“I’d check the training room. He’s there if he isn’t at the bar.” They said, leaving her to go to the mess hall. Pryde shook her head. The bar was in the kitchen and she knew he wasn’t there because she had passed through it. She grabbed something for both of them to eat before going up to the training room. As she walked to the door, she heard grunts and punches. It certainly sounded like him. She walked in to see him shirtless, sweating onto the floor, punching a punching bag incessantly. He didn’t notice her either.

“Rex…?” She asked, walking more into the room. He stopped the bag and looked over at her, breathing heavily.

“Pryde? You’re up? Good morning.” He said, pushing a button to make the bag go up into the ceiling. A towel dropped down and he started drying himself.

“Yes… I’m just worried about you. Last night you smelled heavily of alcohol and looking like you were having a stroke, this morning someone said you are usually at the bar, and then I come in here to see you having a major altercation with an inanimate object. I figure you’re a _really _stressed out alcoholic.” She said, hoping that a little humor in her voice would get him to talk. He shrugged slightly as he looked at her.

“I wouldn’t say I’m an alcoholic but I’m sure Falor would say otherwise. I guess I do drink a lot… to try and forget things… but it doesn’t really work. Anyway, I took a sleeping pill so my body could rejuvenate. The stroke, as you so put it, was my nightmares.” He said.

“Must’ve been one hell of a nightmare…” She replied softly, bringing him the plate she made for him. He thanked her and took it, eating slowly.

“It’s just the same dream I have every time I close my eyes, my race dying because of me.” He replied. She sighed.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not _your _fault.”

“I know, I’m just sorry it’s happening.” She said. He shrugged.

“Me too, but I guess I deserve a burden for causing the deaths of many.” He replied. She suspected he had survivors guilt. That was pretty rough stuff. She didn’t really know the depths of what happened, but she figured that it wasn’t as much of his fault as he was putting on himself. She was sure that Wrench probably felt the same way, but she didn’t really know how to help. “So… did you need something from me?”

“I just… wanted to train some more.” She said. This was mostly true but she also just liked being around him.

“Sure you just didn’t miss my handsome face?” He said with a slight smirk. She rolled her eyes but was a bit shocked his joke was pretty close to the mark.

“Shut up, you big lug, just run the simulation. This time, everything I do is going to be perfect.”

“You bet?”

“Hell yeah!”

“Alright, what’s the bet?” He asked. She thought about it for a minute.

“If I run the simulation perfectly, then you have to give me 1,000 Gamics. Just for some spending money. I want a couple new outfits.”

“And if you mess up?” He asked.

“Um… I don’t really know what you’d want from me…”

“How about if you mess up, you have to have sex with me.” He said. She blushed profusely.

“Are… you serious?? That’s your bet? After all this time not wanting to touch me??”

“I like you, and I can’t change my mind about that. I want to pursue this, whatever it is, whether you break my heart or not.” He replied. She smiled lightly.

“Well, I’m flattered, despite the fact you think I may break your heart.” She said. She then tapped her foot and smirked. “Alright, lover boy, you’re on.”

———————————————————————————————

A few hours and a perfect score later, Rex said that they were an hour away from Lothan. She was sweating pretty hard and toweling herself off as Rex was shutting down the VR system.

“Didn’t realize sex was such a bad thing to you.” He said with a sigh. She snickered.

“What, you thought I was going to lose or purposefully lose?”

“I mean… yeah, kind of.” He said with a shrug. She laughed.

“Dream on, Rex. I don’t f*ck around with something so important.”

“So I’m not important then?” He asked with a slight smirk. She rolled her eyes.

“I’ve already f*cked you, dummy.” She replied. He was about to respond when his comm device started beeping.

“It’s Wrench. He asked me to tell you to come to his room. He has something for you.”

“He’s awake!?” She asked happily. Rex smiled.

“I forgot to tell you, but yes. He awoke earlier this morning and I brought him to his room so he could sleep.”

“Where’s his room?” She asked excitedly.

“Down the stairwell in the bedroom quarters. He lives in the engine room.” He replied. “I have to fly us in so you’ll have to go there yourself.”

“Alright, that’s fine. I’ll go there now. I can’t wait to see him up!” She said, leaving. She went down to the bedroom quarters and then down into the engine room. There was a pretty impressive door with ‘Wrench’ scrawled onto it so she assumed that was his room. She knocked on it and the door opened automatically, almost immediately. It startled her slightly as she looked in, seeing a bandaged up and grayish looking Wrench sitting at a desk. He looked up at her and his face brightened.

“Pryde! Hey!” He said. “Come in!” She walked in and gingerly nodded to his leg.

“How ya feeling, kiddo?”

“I hurt a lot in my leg but my arm feels pretty much like new. Falor said that most of the damage that my body had to heal itself was in my leg.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re going to be okay. So… what did you need me for?”

“Oh! This!” He held up a device to her and she grabbed it, looking it over.

“And this is…?”

“My own invention! I call it the Talkie Walkie. Rayda says that the name is similar to some old device on earth but it’s the comm device that our crew uses. The airwave can’t be hacked so we are the only one’s who can send and receive messages to each other. You just put it on your wrist and you can talk to anyone on the ship!” He said. She looked at it and back at him.

“You’re just… giving me this??”

“Of course! Rex said you were apart of the crew now, so you obviously need one.”

“But shouldn’t you have been sleeping??”

“I slept enough. Besides, I wanted to thank you for saving my life… Rex told me what happened. I’m glad you did it…”

“Well, I couldn’t just let you die. That would’ve been an awful birthday present.” She said. He laughed slightly as she hugged him gently. He stiffened slightly before hugging her back. She released him and then breathed out slowly. “I just wanted to give you a hug, I know your kind doesn’t really like intimate actions but… I thought you could use it.”

“Thanks… I did. I’ll see you later, or hear you later, huh?” He said, gesturing to the new device. She smiled.

“Of course. See you, Wrench.” She said, leaving his quarters. Pryde made her way back to Rex’s quarters gazing at the new device. She smiled. It was a very handy device and she really felt like she was apart of the crew now, thanks to Wrench. She really had to learn everyone’s name now. She quickly made it back to his quarters where she saw him in the captains chair, directing the ship. He looked pretty hot when he was in charge. She knocked on the doorframe and he turned around and smiled. She loved that his face lit up now when he saw her.

“Come in! We are about forty minutes out from Lothan now. What did Wrench need?” He asked. She walked over and showed him her wrist.

“He made this for me. A comm device so I can talk to everyone.”

“Wait, he was working even though he was supposed to be resting?? Geez.”

“Sounds like a certain someone I know.”

“Well, we are cut from the same cloth.” He said before standing up. He grabbed her waist, rubbing her ass which surprised her.

“What… are you doing?” She asked.

“Oh come on, I know you won and you’ll get your f*cking Gamics but like… can’t you just give me some before we get to Lothan?” He said, continuing to grope her ass. She smirked.

“A little forward, are we? Someone sounds f*cking desperate.” She said. He groaned.

“I am! Come on! I know you are too! Anything, come on!” He said, sounding super desperate.

“Desperation ain’t a good look on you.”

“Would you rather me take it without consent?”

“I dunno. That’d be kinda hot.”

“Are you serious?”

“Of course not.”

“Then… are you going to snub me? Seriously??” He said, frowning. She shrugged playfully. “Damn. Fine then.” He said with a huff, starting to let her go before she grabbed his arms and pulled him in close.

“Alright, f*ckboy. You want something that bad? Then I’ll give you something. Sit~.” She said, sultry tone lacing her voice. He grinned and obeyed immediately.

Pryde smirked at how quickly he followed her instruction. Perhaps he enjoyed being told what to do. She leaned down a bit, hinging herself at the hips before placing a hand on each thigh. She licked her lips before quickly shoving them apart and kneeling down between his thighs. Her tail flicked behind her excitedly as she pressed close, hands sliding up his clothed thighs to fiddle with the buckles and straps that kept his pants up. Once she had them undone she smirked, tugging down the zipper of his fly while she leaned forward and peppered the flesh of his neck with playful kisses. Rex groaned softly, closing his eyes and enjoying the attention.

With her eyes closed, the Swiftstride managed to free his erection from the confines of his boxers. The flesh was hot to the touch and pulsing lightly in tune with his heartbeat. She gripped it at the base, moving her palm along it to massage the sensitive flesh, earning another groan from the captain of The Nameless.

“…F*ck…”

Pryde smirked at the reaction. She let her golden orbs open slightly as she drug her tongue along the length of his neck. As she did this, she felt soft vibrations beneath the pink muscle. She would it a bit odd but would ask him about that later, she didn’t want to ruin the mood. The brunette stole a quick kiss from his lips before descending his body to settle comfortably between his legs. She playfully winked up at him before her eyes slid shut once more and she leaned in.

She let her tongue snake out of her mouth to taste him. She shuddered softly, fur standing on end briefly. She smirked before taking the head of his member into her mouth. She sucked at him, tongue swirling around the sensitive flesh to tease. Rex gripped at the arms of his chair harshly, hips raising to greedily urge her to take more of him into her mouth. His brows furrowed and the tip of his tail slapped against the floor, sound echoing through the room.

Pryde chuckled at this, using her free hand to push his hips back down into the chair. The vibrations of her giggle pulled another groan from the Saurian’s lips. He gritted his teeth as he watched her perform such a lewd act, loving every single second of it. He growled softly as he reached down, lacing his hand in his companion’s thick hair and gripping it tightly. This caused the woman’s cheeks to redden softly as she continued her work.

She began to pick up her pace, matching the movements of her head with that of her hand. She gripped him a bit tighter, massaging the flesh beneath her palm as her hand moved up and down along his length. Rex’s breath hitched, brows knitting together even further at the change in pace.

“Damn….Pryde…What the-! Nnnnn…”

His reaction encouraged her to continue quickening her pace, sucking slightly harder at him as she moved. Strings of groans fell from his lips, he could feel the pleasure pooling, threatening to break free at any moment. He clenched his jaw, claws puncturing the leather fabric of the chair as he tried to will himself not to finish.

“Sh*t…I’m close…” He warned, eyes opening to look down at the woman between his thighs. He didn’t know if she was alright with him finishing in her mouth so he warned her just in case. Pryde’s eyes opened at his warning, their depths twinkling with mischief. She made no effort to pull away after his warning, silently urging him to finish as her tongue toyed with the sensitive underside of his length.

Rex groaned loudly, shuddering almost violently as he came. He gripped her hair tightly as he emptied himself within her mouth. Pryde shivered softly as she felt her mouth fill quickly with his essence. She blushed, swallowing the salty liquid before she pulled back, licking the remainder of him off of her lips. She panted softly as she smirked.

“How’s that for giving you something?” She teased, a soft chuckle escaping her.

“…F*ck… f*ck f*ck f*ck f*ck…” He said, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath to calm himself. She chuckled. She really must’ve done a number on him but she wasn’t surprised. She knew how to work the opposite sex. Saurian members were just the same as any other despite the rest of him being covered in scales. “By the fates I missed sex…”

“You’re welcome.” She said, rolling her eyes.

“Sorry… thanks…” He said, looking at his console. “There’s 20 minutes left before we reach Lothan… can I return the favor?” He asked. She blinked.

“What?”

“I can’t just let this be a one sided deal. If this is gonna progress any further, you gotta let me taste you too.” He said. She blushed slightly. She wasn’t use to reciprocation. Usually they just got their fill and dumped her back on the street. This was… nice.

“I mean… if you think you can finish me in time.” She said, teasing him. He grinned.

“If I think? That sounds like a challenge.” He said with deep gravitas.

“It most certainly is. If you can’t finish me in time, I get another 1,000 Gamics.” She said with a smirk.

“Are you f*cking serious?”

“What, you don’t think you can do it?”

“I’m just surprised your rates are so low.”

“B*tch!” She said, blushing. He shrugged before pulling her in and kissing at her neck.

“So… is that a yes then?”

“Is it?” She said, letting him access more of her neck.

“The f*ck if I know!” He said.

“Damn you’re dense!” She said with a huff. “Just f*cking do it already!” She said.

That was all he needed, apparently, before he guided her onto the ground and straddled her there. She looked up at him as his hand caressed her cheek before he drug his tongue up her neck and sucked at it lightly. This pulled a soft whimper from her lips. She turned her head to the side a bit to allow him to do what he wanted, breathing out lightly as he started kissing down to the valley of her breasts. His hands roamed to her waist before he hooked his fingers into her pants, sliding them along the lining slowly before stopping at the zipper.

He unzipped them while pulling her pants down to her knees before he stuck his nose against her wetted underwear. Pryde’s cheeks went a dark pink as she watched him do this.He pressed his powerful tongue against her, through the damp cloth to where she could feel it across her opening. She shuddered, eyes sliding shut for a moment before opening once more, wishing he would stop teasing her.

She gritted her teeth as she felt him to begin to kiss and nip within the inside of her thighs, sucking at them lightly. As he did this, he hooked her underwear with his finger and tugged the thin barrier down, letting his claw drag lightly against her thigh. He then began kissing closer and closer to her opening as his hands spread her thighs. Once he was hovering above her entrance, she shivered as he let out a breath of hot air against the wet skin just below him. He chuckled at the reaction, smirking up at her before he closed his eyes.

Her toes curled when his claws punctured her legs slightly and his tongue dipped past her folds and within her heat. She moaned out, not expecting the length of his tongue at all as it filled her, pushing within her depths to taste all of her. She had to remember that he was reptilian in nature. They had long forked tongues and he knew how to work both sides as he let his tongue dance within her flesh, gripping her thighs and pressing even closer. The scent of her arousal filled his nose as he pressed closer, his nose lightly flicking at her clit as he moved to please the Swiftstride before him.

Pryde sucked in a breath as he started sucking at the folds of her flesh while he spread her a bit more. Her back arched before she had the chance to look at him once more, wanting to see his head move lightly as he worked. She felt his snout nudge against her tender bundle of nerves lightly every so often as he worked her body so wonderfully. Her hips rose to meet him as his tongue picked up the pace, reaching to the depths of her and back out before swirling around her clit and then sucking at it.

This might be the bet she lost as he started playing with her g-spot, claws making circles on her thighs. “F*ck…!” She breathed out, the word escaping her lips faster than she could process it. She heard him laugh slightly as she felt him pull completely out to lick up the outside of her folds before slipping back in, teasing her that way for a bit before he continued his pace from before. She whimpered slightly, enjoying the pace and movement so much, she was closer than she thought she was going to be at this moment.

“Say my name… won’t you?” He whispered, no, commanded, against her skin, hot breath against her flesh before he continued.

“Oh f*ck, Rex….!” She moaned. At that, he swirled more at her clit as his hand traveled up her shirt to start thumbing and pinching at one of the now hardened and sensitive buds upon her chest. Her breath hitched before she let out another moan. She was dangerously close now. “Rex… I’m so close…” She said, wanting to give him the same warning as he gave her before. She half expected him to pull away and finish her off with his fingers but he also made no point to leave. He continued to work at her before she finished suddenly and violently. Her back arched as she moaned and she felt him take in all of her as his tongue slipped back in his mouth and he licked his lips, swallowing her essence. He smirked at her before leaning back up to kiss at her neck.

“I guess that means I win… huh?” He said hotly against her ear. She shuddered.

“I guess so.” She said softly as he leant back up, looking back at his console.

“Good thing too, in five more minutes I would’ve lost another 1,000 Gamics.”

“Would that have been so bad?” She said with a huff. He shook his head.

“No. I’d happily spend it on you. Come on… let’s get ready for Lothan, shall we?” He said, helping her up. She smiled and hugged him.

“Thanks Rex.”

“For what?”

“The reciprocation.”

“Come on, it was the least I could do. I’m not a dick, and I quite enjoyed you and your taste.” He said. She blushed.

“Yeah well… you’d be surprised about how many guys are disgusted by that… and I’ve never been treated like this…”

“You mean well? You deserve to be treated like a queen.” He said. She smiled.

“And you a king.”

“Nah, maybe like a court whore.” He said with a laugh. She hit his arm lightly.

“Ah shut up, you big dope.” She said. He chuckled some more as he pulled up his pants and buckled everything up, sitting back in his chair to fly them in. She took this as her time to clean herself up and get ready for the big break. This was a nice little thing to destress her and she was very much falling for the black scaled individual. He was the sweetest man she had encountered, and she was excited for their rendezvous on Lothan.


End file.
